<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Destroy the Magic by chaoticfruitful</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24280069">Destroy the Magic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticfruitful/pseuds/chaoticfruitful'>chaoticfruitful</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star vs. The Forces Of Evil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Ending, Angst, Blood Moon Ball, Celena and Marco, Cursed Marco, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Magical Marco, Marco's Nightmares About Toffee, Rhina and Celena are basically Agnes Nutter and Anathema Device, Rhina's Prophecy, Trauma, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:09:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>91,707</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24280069</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticfruitful/pseuds/chaoticfruitful</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Seven came before Rhina (if you subtract the boy).<br/>Add four more reigns to her domain and then what gets destroyed?”</p><p>What if Star and Marco never broke the Blood Moon Curse? Slowly succumbing to the effects of the curse and the undeniable pull he feels towards Star's wand, Marco struggles to hold onto his sanity while he discovers the true meaning behind his connections to Toffee, the wand, Celena's magic, and his role to play in fulfilling Rhina's prophecy.</p><p>Slightly altered timeline/alternate ending which coincides with most of the events of season 4, if Star and Marco hadn’t broken the Curse of the Blood Moon.</p><p>[COMPLETE]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Marco Diaz &amp; Hekapoo, Marco Diaz &amp; Tom Lucitor, Star Butterfly &amp; Tom Lucitor, Star Butterfly/Marco Diaz, Tom Lucitor &amp; Janna Ordonia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Wand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Since today marks the one year anniversary of the SVTFOE series finale, I am writing this story to try and explore some of the unresolved issues the show introduced regarding Marco and his connection to Toffee, the wand, the Blood Moon Curse, and Queen Celena. In doing so, I am following the headcanon that Star and Marco are the two people prophesied to destroy the magic (based off of the image in the "prophesy room" at St. Olga's from S1E10 “St. Olga’s Reform School for Wayward Princesses"). All in all, I wanted to explore the character and motives of Toffee, while also indulging in some heavily cursed Marco, so here we go. I have most of this written already, so I should be updating pretty frequently!</p><p>I will explain my theories and their sources, as well as any other notable influences I had in the notes at the end of each chapter (PLEASE see the note for this chapter on the character of H-Poo, since I am referencing a specific fanfiction which I did not write). Any time you see an asterisk (*) in the text, there will be some further context/information on it in the notes at the end.</p><p>Other than that, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy 😊</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marco was sprawled out on Star’s bedroom floor, watching a Mackie Hand compilation on his phone as the reddish glow of the setting sun poured in through the window. The sounds of his video filled the warm air, intermingling with the cacophony of noise from Star—who was sprawled out on her bed above him—video chatting with Pony Head. It had been a long and busy week full of peacemaking missions with various kingdoms, and the princess and her squire were taking some much-needed time to decompress.</p><p>Enthralled in his video, Marco almost failed to notice the pair of legs emerge from under the small rug in the middle of Star’s room. The legs, clad in Star’s signature red boots, were writhing and kicking, clearly trying to free themselves from the rug’s weight. Marco felt his throat tighten and his stomach lurch.</p><p>“Star…” he croaked, unable to tear his eyes from the sight before him. “What am I looking at?”</p><p>“<em>Ugh</em>, one second, Pony. Marco is being weird,” Star grumbled, placing her multi-coloured compact down on the bed beside her. “What is it?” She sighed, sluggishly flipping herself around to look down at her friend on the floor. Marco was slowly shuffling backwards, pressing his hoodie-clad back against the bed as he settled into a defensive crouch.</p><p>“Uhm…” Marco muttered, pointing to the floor ahead of him. Star’s eyes followed his gesture to the rug in the middle of the room and the severity of the situation washed over her.</p><p>“Tell Earth Turd to stop harshing our vibe!” Pony Head called over the speaker, huffing in annoyance.</p><p>“Oh no, it’s back,” Star whispered in horror as she jumped up onto all fours. “Pony,I’llcallyoubacklaterokaybyeeeee” Star called out hurriedly before slamming her phone shut and jumping from the bed. She lunged at the half-hidden form attached to legs, diving onto the rug in an attempt to restrain whatever it contained.</p><p>"Marco!” Star yelled, making her already mortified friend jump at the sudden noise. “Quick, the wand!”</p><p>“Star, why is that thing back? And what <em>is</em> it?!” He screeched, eyes widening in terror at the sight before him.</p><p>“Marco, we don’t have time for this! My wand—now!” Star ordered in breathless exasperation, clearly struggling to keep whatever was attached to the legs from fully emerging. She reached out her right hand expectantly as her left fought to grasp whatever surface of the creature’s legs she could.</p><p>From where he sat on Star’s floor, Marco looked up toward the wand that was resting on the nightstand above him before whipping his head back to his friend as she grappled with the extremities. Once his brain had finally caught up with Star’s request, he raised himself up onto his knees to reach for the wand, but hesitated before he could make contact. His hand stopped a mere few inches away from the object’s handle, but despite the distance Marco could feel a familiar surge of warmth pulsate against his hand. A faint thrum, almost like an indecipherable whisper swirled around him. The pull he felt towards the wand sent a rush of adrenaline washing over him, a sensation which he distinctly remembered feeling a few months earlier.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>He started to panic the moment the mirror’s screen went to static and he lost connection with Star.* </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“C’mon… Call Star!” Marco yelled in desperation. He let out a noise of anguish as the mirror once again failed to connect. “What am I gonna do?!” He frantically pulled at his hair, trying to think of something, anything to get his best friend back. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh! What about Glossaryck? Maybe he can—” Janna suggested hopefully before being cut off by Glossaryck’s usual utterance as of late. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Globgor!” He shrieked. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You’re a disgrace to magic,” Janna lamented, thoroughly unimpressed. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Magic,” Marco muttered under his breath, releasing his hair as he turned to the wand. He slowly began to approach it with wide eyes, his gait weighed down with trepidation. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh, that’s a bad idea. And that’s coming from me,” Janna warned, her eyes widening to match his as she realized what her friend was about to do. The pressing need to save Star from whatever dimension she was headed for overpowered Marco’s anxiety. Instead, he quieted his thoughts and squeezed his eyes shut, grasping the wand with a sweaty hand. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Ahhhh, you’re gonna die!” Janna exclaimed resolutely, hurriedly ducking behind the makeshift table which they were previously sitting at as they watched their friend propel through countless portals in her butterfly form. A beat of silence passed. The tension cementing Marco’s arm began to lessen with each second that went by, and he let his muscles relax. He allowed his eyes to open. </em>
</p><p><em>“Huh. Nothing happened,” he marvelled, looking down at the wand with uncertainty. It still looked so very </em>Star<em>, as if it didn’t register a change in who was wielding it. Marco recalled that it changed form even when Ludo’s goon Lobster Claws took hold of it back on Earth. But now, it was almost as if the wand thought him and Star were the same person. “It’s like our souls are bonded—” </em></p><p>
  <em>His statement was cut off by an explosive force of motion propelling the wand upwards and sending a gust of supernatural wind swirling around the entire room. In an instant, Marco was torn off the ground by the pull of the magical current emanating from the wand, which spun him around as red, purple, then blue streaks of light shot out of the Butterfly heirloom and surrounded him. Marco felt a warm, almost electric surge course through him as the object in his hands transformed. The magical gale eventually dropped him back to the ground, his hair blown about and disheveled from its force. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Marco stared at the newly-metamorphosized wand before him with his mouth agape and eyes wide: he breathlessly took in its pointed, deep green and black features, all of which seemed completely foreign to him. </em>
</p><p>It feels… good? <em>He had thought the moment his feet returned to the ground. The verity of the thought surprised him almost as much as the feeling of boldness and sheer power which pulsated from his hands and coursed throughout his body. </em></p><p>But why does it look so—?<em> His thoughts were halted by Janna leaning over him in order to dot the left corner of the wand with a ‘mole’ that resembled his own. He took no time to reprimand her, instead diving over to Star’s bedside table and tearing out the makeshift Book of Spells she had begun composing after Ludo had taken the original. He recalled watching her use the spying spell (even though she warned him not to) when she was trying to retrieve the book—along with Glossaryck—from Ludo. He forced the glittery notebook into Janna’s hands and took his stance. </em></p><p>
  <em>“Woah, ‘The All-Seeing Eye?’ ‘Spying leads to crying?’” Janna read aloud, clearly uncomfortable with whatever Marco was about to attempt. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Just… hold it up so I can read it,” he ordered, hoping his voice evoked some semblance of courage. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Okay…” She conceded reluctantly. Marco took a deep breath to center himself, sweat beading down his forehead. He recited the spell with all the confidence and desperation he could muster. The power he felt—not to mention the sensation searing itself into his cheeks—both frightened and emboldened him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He had only managed to make contact with Star for a few short moments before his best friend’s blissful stare was stripped from his sight as his hand foolishly made contact with the spell. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror during the heartbeat after the spell recoiled. He almost thought he had imagined the light red crescent moons that marked each side of his face, but the sensation they left on his cheeks was unmistakable. He was thrown across the room by the force of the spell as it imploded a short moment later. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>In that moment, Marco wasn’t sure what frightened him more: the fact that he temporarily had the cheek marks of a Butterfly, or the craving he felt to reclaim the wand once Star had taken it away from him… </em>
</p>
<hr/><p>“MARCO!” Star screeched, desperately trying to snap her friend out of his sudden stupor as both her body and the legs under the carpet flailed about wildly.</p><p>“What—OH, sorry!” Marco apologized. He swiftly pulled himself out of his vivid retrospection and hurled the wand towards Star, ensuring that the object left his hands just as quickly as he had picked it up. A brilliant flash of light and an array of glowing strawberries filled the room as Star blasted the legs—and whatever being had been attached to them—out of existence. The tattered rug collapsed, emptied of its previous tenant. Both teens took a moment to catch their breath as they rested on the bedroom’s cool hardwood floor.</p><p>“What happened, man? You totally checked out back there,” Star finally spoke, both annoyance and concern trickled into her panting voice.</p><p>“I don’t know…” Marco trailed off nervously. He didn’t fully understand how that particular memory was making him feel, nor how to begin to explain it to her. “I guess I won’t be getting a ‘Squire of the Year’ award anytime soon, huh?” He muttered awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head and avoided Star’s imploring gaze. The princess snorted in amusement and lifted herself off the floor. She shoved his shoulder teasingly as she sauntered past him, stopping before the mirror mounted to her wall as she raked her fingers through her tangled mane of blonde hair.</p><p>“Sorry, Diaz. Not this time. There is a way you could make it up to me, though,” she mused aloud, her voice lilting in a sing-song tone while her eyes glinted with something mischievous.</p><p>“Oh?” Marco wondered. <em>If she says Abs Dimension, I swear…</em> he thought to himself, bracing for the inevitably awkward encounter.</p><p>“I require nachos, squire! And make them extra cheesy,” Star proclaimed righteously. “<em>If</em> you think you can possibly regain your honour, that is,” she teased, perching on the edge of her bed. Marco felt his pride flare up at the prospect of a challenge, even if he knew she was just messing with him.</p><p>“Now, <em>that</em> I can do, m’lady,” he teased in return, playfully taking a knee and bowing before her. He jumped up and pointed to the mangled rug beside him before she could reprimand him for addressing her so formally. “<em>This</em>, on the other hand, is out of my pay grade,” he nodded towards the tattered rug below his feet and grimaced.</p><p>“Wow, how did I get so lucky to have such a brave squire to protect me?” Star muttered sarcastically, letting her tone fall flat as she tried not to laugh at the boy before her, whom she knew to be anything but the ‘Safe Kid’ his peers back on Earth thought him to be. Marco had started walking towards her door, but stopped himself upon hearing her remark.</p><p>“So, is that a <em>no</em> to the nachos, then? Because I can go and do more squire-ly things, if you want,” he shrugged, pulling his hand away from the doorknob. He ducked just in time to avoid the pillow that barreled towards his head. “Hey! Alright, I’m going!” he shrieked, escaping the onslaught of pillows by barreling out the door and out of Star’s sight.</p><p>“Extra cheese or else I’m picking the movie tonight, Diaz!” Star shouted after him.</p><p>“NO!” Marco yelled back at her, his high-pitched shriek echoing from down the hall. She could hear his pace quicken considerably. The princess smiled to herself and flopped backwards onto her bed, humming as she picked up her phone to resume her conversation with Pony Head until Marco returned to commence their movie night. The rug in the center of the room lay still, if not a little disheveled, bathed in the glow of the purple and red light of the setting sun.</p><p>After countless hours spent in Star’s room watching movies which, thankfully, he got to pick, Marco collapsed onto the bed of his Mewnian bedroom. He let his body relax and his thoughts slow, while shaking the mental image of the creature from under the rug out of his mind. His thoughts eventually drifted elsewhere, and Marco smiled fondly at the remnants of joy from the last few hours spent with his best friend. As he was well accustomed to by this point, he did his best to ignore the dull ache that sat heavy on his chest from the part of him that still pined for her.</p><p><em>Just breathe. It’ll go away one day, I hope</em>, he thought to himself, letting out a long exhale. Whenever his impending crush became too overwhelming, he would normally tiptoe through the castle’s vast halls to see if Eclipsa was awake—she usually was, he discovered pretty early on since becoming acquainted with the current queen. They often ran into each other in the middle of the night down in the kitchen, usually after Marco returned from one of his midnight adventures with Hekapoo and the gang. The queen, it would seem, was a bit of a night owl, much like himself. They settled into a comfortable routine: he brought snacks, and she listened to him vent about his inescapable and ever-growing feelings for his best friend. Tonight, however, after a rather hectic week, Marco could feel the weight of exhaustion bear down upon him, and he quickly plunged into the depths of sleep.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>“I’ve got it, stand back,” Marco’s deep voice bellowed. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The wind howled through the trees that lined the clearing of the icy plateau overlooking the outskirts of the NeverZone. Lightening tore cracks in the sky above the two companions as they skidded to a halt, momentarily halting their frantic getaway. Marco snatched a miniscule fairy that the gusts of the storm hurled in his direction, which he promptly smashed between his palms, its remains glittering under the ghostly light of Dimension X-103’s moons. He sprinted over to a nearby tree and completed the charm, smearing the substance onto the rough bark. The forest around him commenced its chorus of groans. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Marco?!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What? We are going to need backup!” He called to her in response. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No, you… Uhm, Marco, humans can't use summoning charms. Not even in this dimension," one of the last few of Hekapoo’s clones barely uttered over the shrieks of the trees and the explosions of thunder, her voice shaking slightly. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I did it perfectly, what are you talking about?" He asked, doubt eating away at the pride in all his years of training and studying in this dimension. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah, you did.” She stared at him, giving no further explanation. The clone—who appeared to be completely transfixed by the man before her—drifted towards him. She reached out to him with both hands and cautiously caressed his cheeks. The wind roared around them. Marco followed her gaze, focusing on her fingers, which he noticed were illuminated by what looked like a pale red light emanating from both sides of his face. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Marco didn't know how to process what was happening, especially considering the momentary distraction due to the familiar rush of heat his lover’s touch sent blossoming throughout his chest. The warmth she caused felt much more comforting than the tingling, almost searing sensation coming from his cheeks. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“How did you—?” Her question stopped dead in her throat. He didn’t get the chance to press her on what she was implying. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Their moment was interrupted by a giant, serpent-like creature bursting from the cracks in the ice at their feet. The serpent took out the Hekapoo clone in one swift flick of its tail, sending her limp body flying into a nearby tree, which burst into flame the moment she made impact. Seeing her form crumpled before him absolutely shattered something in Marco’s chest. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"H-POO!” He screamed while running to her and crouching over her stilled body. </em>
</p><p><em>Tears clouded his vision. The fact that she was a clone did nothing to lessen his pain in knowing that his companion for the past year couldn’t respond to his cries. Addressing her by the nickname ‘H-Poo’ had started as a taunt, something to merely rile her up, but overtime it became a term of endearment and, eventually, one of devotion. It differentiated her from all the other clones, from Hekapoo herself. She was </em>his <em>H-Poo.* He could never bring himself to blow out her flame, not even if it allowed him to fulfill his quest and finally return home. In reality, she ended up being the only clone he encountered to snuff out her own flame. After almost two years together, H-Poo eventually decided she could no longer keep him from his quest, no matter how much she selfishly wanted him all to herself. She left him with a tearful smirk and a parting ‘Good luck,’ before vanishing into a cloud of smoke. He knew </em>that <em>memory was real: it haunted him each time he had seen the original Hekapoo since. </em>This <em>version of his and H-Poo’s final moment which currently tormented him, however, was almost entirely unfamiliar to him. </em></p><p><em>"Wait, this is different! What's going on?! H-Poo, I—!” He choked on his sobs but managed to continue shouting, “H-Poo, PLEASE, I can't do this without you again!" Marco could barely hear his own screams over the muted thud of his heartbeat that echoed through his ears. Turning his back on her fallen remains, he drew his sword, </em>el choppo,<em> the swift motion of him brandishing it caused a glimmer of light to trace its way from the hilt to its highest point, which then shimmered into the shape of a crescent moon.* </em></p><p>
  <em>He raced toward the snake, its scales glistening with a sickening, dark green hue as the blaze of the fire, her fire, refracted off its surface. His swift run barely allowed him to dodge the beast’s thrashing tail as he forced his legs onward with all of his might. In one dauntless motion he leapt up towards its center, just below its head, and drove his prized sword deep into the monster's belly. Marco tumbled to the ground, his back painfully slamming against the unyielding ice as he let out a hiss of pain. Suddenly, the serpent's head whipped around to face him, its skull beginning to melt from its previous snake-like shape, before reforming itself into a face Marco knew all too well. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"SURPRISE!" Toffee's wide, ravenous eyes and chilling smile instantly sent terror coursing through his veins. The Septarian choked out what sounded like a horrifying laugh as its body crashed to the ground, encircling the tattered and broken man below. His foe’s uncaring eyes drifted to the place where H-Poo’s body previously laid, before it had been consumed by her own flames. In another slow yet calculated motion he turned his head back again and fixed his unfeeling gaze on Marco. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Marco jumped up with a ferocity he had never felt before—fire and hatred overtook him. Bloodlust singed his mouth with a metallic sting, hungering for the blood of the monster before him. Just as quickly as he had prepared to charge his enemy, he stopped himself, sensing something suddenly wrong with his usually scarred and brawny physique. Looking down, he saw that he had returned to his teenaged figure and was now clad in a fitted black suit, the shirt below it was crowned with a white collar which folded over the knot of a sleek, red necktie.* </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It’s about time…" Toffee commended in a weak yet menacing timbre while his serpent form began to melt, seeping into the cleaved ice below. </em>
</p><p>No, please not again,<em> Marco pleaded internally as he ran towards a pool of the undescended, dark green remnants of Toffee. His reflection confirmed what his dreaming mind feared more than anything else: he was greeted by an image of himself staring back at him, its chin slightly tilted upwards in a way that drew attention to its slight yet sinister smile and indifferent stare. His reflection held the Butterfly wand in his hands, specifically designed for him, and his eyes glinted with the light of the two blood red crescent moons burned into his cheeks.</em></p>
<hr/><p>The force of his piercing scream tore Marco from the throes of the nightmare, the noise barely muffled by the folds of his sweat-drenched pillow. He barely had a moment to catch his breath and wipe the tears from his cheeks—which stung with the remnants of the dream still clinging to his skin—before the panic set in.</p><p>“What the hell was that?” He muttered breathlessly, frantically tearing off the blankets and almost falling off of his bed in an attempt to reach for the dimensional scissors he left stashed between the mattress and the wooden bedframe. Even though that exact interaction with H-Poo had never happened during his two years with her on the outskirts of the NeverZone, there were aspects of the fictional episode which were a little too familiar for comfort. As for the dream’s conclusion, Marco’s nightmares had been plagued by a similar image even within the first year of knowing Star, back on Earth. They tended to follow a basic pattern: he would see himself in that same suit, staring back at himself with the moon shining red light down on him. Tonight, however, was the first time that Toffee himself had ever said anything other than <em>You’re a disappointment</em>, a phrase Marco’s nightmares hadn’t stopped repeating to him since that lone conversation they shared in Ludo’s castle.* Sometimes the dreams replayed the image of Marco’s hand dripping with dark green sludge from punching a hole through Toffee, in the moment he thought he had lost his best friend forever.</p><p>Marco realized that this particular nightmare was also the first appearance of both the crescent marks on his face, and of the Butterfly wand in his hand, which was recognizably modified to apparently resemble him (although Marco still had no idea how its sharp, winged, sickly green appearance could possibly do so). Beyond these differences, especially the unnervingly serpentine presence of Toffee, one final aspect of this dream stood out to him: his reflection had never smiled back at him before. The image made him sick to his stomach with fear. No matter how terrifying the nightmares got, Marco had never told anyone about them, not even Star. <em>I just have to know…</em> He thought to himself. Grasping his dimensional scissors in his clammy palm, he opened a rift ahead of him as he found his footing, sprinting into the flaming orange portal without a moment of delay.</p><p>“AAH!” Hekapoo screamed in genuine alarm as the most recent inheritor of her sought-after scissors burst into the room before her eyes, nearly landing on her rather recklessly in the process. She jolted up from the couch that sat at the far end of the dimly, yet effervescently lit room. A massive tome she had been reading fell from her lap and thumped onto the floor between them. Marco, on the other hand, stumbling backward to recover his balance, silently gave thanks to whatever force of fate allowed him to find her so easily, relieved to see her lounging in the dingy room he visited in the final moments of his sixteen-year-long quest, where she once forged his scissors in the flames of her supernatural fires. Once she properly took in the familiar man towering before her, the magical being rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed.</p><p>“Dramatic entrance, much?” She huffed, her voice returning to its usual smooth timbre. She nudged his bicep with her shoulder while moving past him, swiftly raising her opposite hand up towards the back of his head. She froze when her hand failed to make contact with his now-healed patch of hair, her usual spot of attack, and instead was firmly held in place as the man roughly grabbed her forearm and whipped around to face her, towering over her.</p><p>“I need to ask you something,” Marco’s strained, aged voice growled, still panting slightly. Hekapoo had to strain her neck to look him in the eye, but she met his gaze with a look as steeled, albeit far less manic than his own.</p><p>“I’ve already told you, Flesh-wad. Nachos is fine. She’s with the other dragon cycles flying and frolicking happily, or whatever. Besides, our next ride with the crew isn’t until—”</p><p>“Hekapoo, I’m not here about that,” Marco cut her off gruffly. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I need to ask you about summoning charms.” Hekapoo finally released herself from his grip, turning her back to him as she walked towards the hearth at the far end of the room.</p><p>“What did the princess mess up this time?” She chuckled, absently tending to the flames before her.</p><p>“No, it’s not Star… It’s me,” he replied. “Why can I do them?” Hekapoo halted her tinkering and slowly turned back around to face him, wordless and unmistakably void of all emotion.</p><p>“I can do them,” Marco confirmed, nodding. “I just don’t know how I used to do them when I was in the NeverZone, especially since Star or the wand wasn’t anywhere—"</p><p>“What? No, you can’t,” she retorted sharply, cutting him off with a sudden uneasiness creeping into her tone.</p><p>“I wouldn’t lie to you.” He ignored her pointed, judgmental look. “I think something is…” Marco’s voice broke as he trailed off, a feeling of dread washing over him. He took a deep breath and met her gaze more forcefully. “Can humans usually do summoning charms?” He asked, already dreading the answer he suspected was coming.</p><p>“No,” Hekapoo answered curtly. She regarded him for a moment, watching his eyebrows knit together while his eyes scrunched shut and his posture slightly curled in towards itself under the weight of her words.</p><p>“How many times have you pulled it off?”</p><p>“Countless. Seriously, I have no idea,” Marco replied with a shaking voice, feeling far more like his usual fourteen-year-old self than he would have liked to in this moment.</p><p>“And was Star around? Or any of <em>me</em>?” She prodded tersely.</p><p>“Star only once. You… <em>Her</em>, I mean. H-P—”</p><p>“I know, <em>her</em>. I get it,” interrupted Hekapoo, her voice sharp. Marco exhaled. <em>So she knows about H-Poo... </em>he thought to himself, trying not to let the shock show on his face.</p><p>“I think she only saw me do it once, that’s it. But I don’t even know if that is an actual memory or if my mind just created the scenario. I’m not sure if what I have been seeing in these dreams and flashbacks lately are real…” He left himself trail off. Marco decided that it was best not to go into too much detail about the increasingly troubling content of his nightmares. He took a deep breath and quietly continued. “I had a dream tonight. In it, H-Poo got really scared when I did the charm, and... Well, she also told me that humans can’t do them. Other than her and Star, no one else ever saw me successfully complete one. I was usually alone,” he muttered in defeat, letting himself collapse onto her couch. He stared forward at the wall on the other side of the room. After a long, tense pause, Hekapoo walked over to him.</p><p>She hesitated for a brief moment before letting herself drift down onto the couch beside him. “It was a memory,” she confirmed quietly, nodding her head once. Marco kept staring on ahead, his suspicions confirmed. <em>So I guess I had just repressed it or something.</em> He had always wondered if Hekapoo retained any of H-Poo’s memories or experiences from their time together. He was suddenly grateful that the dim light of the room hid the blush beginning to tinge his cheeks at the thought. The brief moment of longing was cut short by his own confusion.</p><p>“Then why didn’t you believe me?” He questioned her.</p><p>“Ugh,” she groaned in frustration, taking a moment before responding. “Because I wasn’t really sure it was real either, at least until now,” she admitted begrudgingly. “Lots of clones, lots of memories… that kind of thing,” Hekapoo muttered, shrugging in defeat. Marco's mind was reeling, but one thought stood out among the noise: <em>If humans can’t do magic, then was does that make me?</em>  Marco wondered internally.</p><p>“Hekapoo, am I not—” Marco began to ask.</p><p>“Look,” Hekapoo exhaled, placing a hand just above Marco’s knee, “Even though the fairies themselves are magic, non-magical creatures usually can’t harness that magic in order to actually complete the charm, if that makes sense. But, then again, I don’t know what prolonged exposure to the Butterfly family and uhm, her and I, could do to a human.”</p><p>“And what about my cheeks? Does that kind of thing… usually happen?” He asked with a tone of hesitation.</p><p>“What? What about your cheeks?” Hekapoo asked, genuinely confused. Marco quickly realized that the glowing moons on his cheeks must not have actually appeared when he did magic in front of H-Poo. Panicking internally, he tried to backtrack.</p><p>“Oh. Nevermind. I think these dreams are just starting to mess with my head,” he muttered, hoping his dismissal was convincing. She didn’t press him on it, much to his relief. Even though he was withholding information, he hated how true his last statement was starting to become. <em>So I guess the moons only ever appeared when I used Star’s wand, then</em>. The two of them looked ahead at nothing at all for a few beats in silence.</p><p>“I used her wand once,” Marco finally whispered from his side of the couch. He visibly cringed as soon as the words involuntarily tumbled out of his mouth.</p><p>“You what?!” Hekapoo hissed. Marco shrugged awkwardly in response, purposefully avoiding her gaze as he continued his confession.</p><p>“And—and it worked. Star wasn’t even in the same dimension as me at the time. I think I have magic, like… without Star's influence. But I don’t know what that means,” he finally admitted aloud, both to her and himself. Hekapoo let out a long, tense groan. She shook her head in disbelief, and uttered a noise Marco thought almost sounded like a chuckle.</p><p>“Well, I guess this might finally explain the mystery of how you managed to beat my game,” she concluded, letting a playful resignation lighten her tone. A terse, gruff laugh bubbled in his chest, shaking his shoulders for a brief moment before he allowed himself to slightly lean on her, placing a part of his weight against the spitting image of someone he used to be able to lean on when times got tough.</p><p>“I’ll look into it, okay?” She affirmed as she let herself relax a little at their intimate position. They both continued to look straight ahead of them. “In the meantime, don’t touch the wand again and no more summoning charms. Just lay low and I’ll see what I can figure out,” an edge of protectiveness crept into her voice. It comforted Marco.</p><p>“Can we maybe keep all of this between us for now?” He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.</p><p>“Yeah, that would probably be for the best,” she agreed, slightly shaking her head once more in confusion.</p><p>“Thank you, really. I think I mostly just needed to vent to someone,” he smiled, letting his hand briefly rest on top of hers.</p><p>“Whatever, dummy,” her smooth voice murmured fondly as she released her hand from his and swiftly reached up to singe the hair at the back of his head with a firm swat of her hand. “<em>Yes</em>,” she hissed in victory.</p><p>“<em>Ouch</em>, damn it,” Marco grumbled, shaking his head and letting himself really laugh for the first time in what felt like weeks. He knew that wasn’t true, but the nightmares of this past year—especially in the last couple of months, which, he realized, had started to become more frequent since he had used Star’s wand—had been starting to get to him.</p><p>“Get some sleep,” said Hekapoo as she stood up and spliced open a portal for him. One foot through the portal, Marco turned back to her with a mischievous glint in his eye.</p><p>“I’ll see ya later, H-Poo,” he crooned, his stare daring her to respond.</p><p>“DON’T call me that!” She shouted, sending a ball of flame directly toward the portal. With a echoing whoosh the portal closed before him and he was back in the dark, drafty castle. He shook his head at the image of the deep red blush that coursed across her cheeks in the moment before he dodged the blast.</p><p>“Oh,” his teenaged voice cracked. His smile fell as he finally understood the weight of Hekapoo's dislike for that nickname. <em>She has H-Poo’s memories…</em> “I guess I’ll deal with the repercussions of that later,” he sighed.</p><p>For the second time that night, Marco collapsed onto the bed in his room in Butterfly castle, grateful that he finally opened up to someone about his plight. As for what his magical abilities meant, time would tell, but for the meantime he internally vowed not to tell Star or her parents, just in case. He knew that Star was aware that he performed the All-Seeing Eye spell as well as the summoning charm, but he had a feeling she didn't think much of those instances, if at all. <em>She probably told herself it was because of her magic and the closeness of our relationship, like I assumed it had to do with our souls being bonded</em>, he mused. Nevertheless, it seemed best that he keep this from the Butterflies for the time being, at least until he had a firmer understanding of how he could tap into their magic so easily. <em>Unless the magic is my own, of course…</em> he wondered.</p><p>In the moments before peaceful sleep finally overtook him, Marco briefly wondered if he could trust Hekapoo with this kind of information. He knew enough of the goings on of Mewni’s royal court to recognize that the Magic High Commission wasn't the most morally reputable governing body, to say the least. As if in response to his dilemma, his brain replayed the blush that rouged Hekapoo’s cheeks and sparked the flame above her head as the portal closed ahead of him just a few moments before. <em>I don’t think she will be too eager to mention that interaction to anyone anytime soon,</em> he concluded, allowing himself to grin at the memory.</p><p>Even if they had both long moved on from his time in Hekapoo's dimension, it was nice to know that he had a friend who truly understood the hardships and horrors he went through during his time in the NeverZone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*First of all, Marco’s initial flashback scene (where he uses the wand for the first time) is from S3E12 “Deep Dive.” The first time Marco witnesses Star do the All-Seeing Eye Spell is in S2E15 “Raid the Cave,” which must have been the reason he knew this spell existed. He may be a goofball, but the boy is awfully perceptive.</p><p>*IMPORTANT: The character of the H-Poo clone, especially as being romantically involved with Marco during his time in the NeverZone, is very loosely based off of the fic “A Habit Hard to Break” by Akeara4 and Grade_A_Sexual [ https://archiveofourown.org/works/9982967/chapters/22299020 ]. I certainly took my liberties with H-Poo and Marco’s relationship for the sake of brevity, but I couldn’t help but do a little homage to this incredible story. Seriously, it’s a must-read. My fic won’t really have anything beyond this in the vein of Marcapoo content, but I enjoyed momentarily indulging myself nonetheless. </p><p>*The creepy legs under Star’s rug were first seen in S1E10 “St. Olga’s Reform School for Wayward Princesses.” That scene haunts me to this day.</p><p>*The glimmer of the crescent moon that shines from the tip of Marco’s sword, El Choppo, can be spotted in S3E20 “Divide.” I live for this crescent moon/ Celena imagery associated with Marco.</p><p>*Lastly, and very importantly: the imagery in Marco’s dream concerning Toffee echoes that of his horrific nightmare from S2E02 “Red Belt” (in which Marco is portrayed in a coffin-like locker wearing a suit and is very clearly being haunted by the blood moon), as well as the two moments in S1E13 “Storm the Castle,” where Marco is seen in the reflection of Toffee’s mirror, making it look as though he is wearing Toffee’s suit with an eerily emotionless expression. I will be basing a lot of my theories off of this imagery, so stay tuned as that spooky content comes to fruition…</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Prophecy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>- This chapter is set during the episodes following S4E14 "Cornonation Day," wherein Star and Marco return to Earth for awhile.<br/>- Don't forget that Star and Marco never broke the Curse of the Blood Moon in this timeline, so basically Marco’s life is going to get a whole lot more difficult.<br/>- The rest of the story is going to be spread out over the days leading up to Mina’s invasion, which is still apart of this timeline but will not be at the forefront of the action.<br/>- Please enjoy a bit of wholesome, pining Marco before things get real dark, real fast.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As tensions began to settle after Queen Eclipsa’s coronation and Globgor’s reintroduction to Mewni, Marco watched Star step down from her role as princess—and unintentional mediator between mewmans and monsters—and begin to move into the next phase of her life. As he packed up his and Janna’s belongings in preparation for their return to Earth, Marco beamed as his thoughts drifted to his best friend: he was so proud of the brave and selfless young woman she was becoming, and he was grateful to have been included in all her feats thus far, even if they often ended up leaving him with more than a few bruises.</p><p>At the same time, Marco knew that he deserved a break. The last few months in Mewni had been exhausting, what with him and Star helping Eclipsa regain her sovereignty and the respect of her people. But it was his time spent constantly at Star’s side for emotional support as her “best bestie” and personal squire-turned-knight that was perhaps the most taxing aspect of all. He couldn’t deny that it had been difficult. Despite the fact that Tom wasn’t even around him and Star all that much as of late, it didn’t change how the majority of Marco’s time had been spent in heartache: whether from his and Star’s constant prolonged hugs, or the quiet moments where they just laid on the couch together. Most absurdly, Marco’s crush had consumed him to the point that the pair of half-eaten, soggy marshmallows she always ensured to leave behind in her cereal bowl made him tear up and sweat profusely. He wanted her, but he had no place in fighting to have her—not after the stunts he had pulled, such as kissing her in the photo booth (like a total <em>Marco</em>), and especially since she was steadily back together with Tom.</p><p>Marco realized that his packing had absentmindedly become aggressive to the point that his box was merely filled with crumpled up balls of clothing. He sighed in dismay at his own internal melodrama, not to mention the hours he would have to spend ironing out his freshly wrinkled wardrobe once he got back to Earth. At the same time, Marco could hardly wait for the time away, while held the promise of the chance to swallow down his emotions in peace until they faded into oblivion. And if the feelings didn’t go away, Marco knew he had done the right thing and ended things with Kelly before they got any more serious, and thus he was prepared to resign himself to silently pining after his best friend for the rest of his life.</p><p><em> Yikes, this must be what Eclipsa has had to listen to for the last few months…</em> he cringed, mentally chastising himself for Eclipsa’s sake, since she had so generously (and repeatedly) tolerated his lovesick whining. As much as Marco needed some space, he was fairly certain that Eclipsa would appreciate the break from his weekly therapy sessions with her the most. It was time for <em>everyone</em>, not just him, to have a much-deserved break from the turmoil of defending the kingdom against Meteora, Ludo, and Toffee, as well as tracking down Star’s mother, releasing Globgor, and helping to diffuse the animosity between mewmans and monsters.</p><p>And so, with Eclipsa and Globgor happily in power where they belonged, working daily to unite and appease their kingdom—and even Moon and River were complacent in their rustic, mewman settlement—Star didn’t need to be anyone’s princess, and she and Tom decided to get away for awhile. Marco felt a twinge of grief as this chapter of his life came to a close, but he was ultimately grateful for the memories. On the upside, he figured that maybe if he just got some space and distracted himself, his feelings for his best friend would ebb. Maybe being away from the wand for awhile would make the nightmares and flashbacks stop. Even if he <em>was</em> magic, he was in no hurry to find out how, and he had a bad feeling as to what would happen once he did. He didn’t want everything to change, at least not yet.</p><p>After saying their goodbyes, Marco and Janna headed back to Echo Creek, and most importantly, Marco went home to finally meet his newborn sibling. Meanwhile, Star and Tom departed on what Marco thought sounded like the trip of a lifetime, wherever they were headed.</p>
<hr/><p>Marco had just over twenty-four hours of serenity back at home in Echo Creek—or whatever a screaming baby, his recovering mother, and his blubbering and doting father all under one roof amounted to—before he heard the doorbell chime.</p><p>“Star! Star Butterfly! Look who came to visit!” He heard his father shout in surprise upon answering the door.</p><p>Standing on the opposite side of the living room, Marco’s stomach somehow dropped to the floor and nearly fluttered up into his head at the sound of her name. As his feet sent him barreling towards the door where Star—looking happy and perhaps a little sheepish—stood, the embers that had smoldered dormant in his chest for the last day and a half suddenly ignited and sent a surge of warmth throughout his body. Marco ignored the pool of sweat beginning to trail down his back as he let a smile spread hopefully across his lips.</p><p>“Star?! Star, you’re… here? You’re here!” He shouted as he approached her.</p><p>“Uh-huh,” she confirmed, noticeably awkward as she stood in the threshold of the Diaz’s home.</p><p>“Hey, close your eyes for a second!” Marco exclaimed, racing away from his friend’s outstretched hands, completely caught up in the excitement. He swiftly returned, carrying his infant sibling. “Star, meet Mariposa, my new baby sister,” he introduced, placing his sister into the crook of his best friend’s arms.</p><p>As his parents explained the mix-up in determining the baby’s gender, Marco couldn’t help the bittersweet range of emotions coursing through him. No matter how much he thought having some time away from Star would help him get over her, not even the engrossing company of his newborn baby sister had been able to distract him from how aware he had been of his friend’s absence.</p><p>“It’s so good to see you,” Marco said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>“Yeah… It’s good to be back,” she agreed. Her eyes fell down towards Mariposa, still cuddled against her chest.</p><p>Marco followed her gaze and noticed Star’s feet awkwardly shuffling from side to side. When his eyes returned to her face, Marco finally took in her downtrodden expression. For someone who clearly hadn’t been travelling for very long, Star looked exhausted. Mostly, she looked like she needed a friend.</p><p>“So, wanna go upstairs and play with Mariposa for a bit?” Marco suggested, figuring his friend didn’t need to be bombarded with questions by his overbearingly kind parents—at least not right away.</p><p>“I’d love that,” Star smiled gratefully. The teens headed upstairs towards Marco’s room. Star treaded slowly, lovingly looking down upon the newborn cradled in her arms. The moment Marco turned the handle and swung his bedroom door open, the excited pattering of the laser puppies’ paws thundered towards them.</p><p>“So what have you—<em>OHAHHH</em>!” Marco screeched, tearing his baby sister out of Star’s arms in the moment before the tidal wave of puppies sent a tirade of red light and wet licks cascading over Star, knocking her to the ground.</p><p>“Puppies! <em>Oh-how-I’ve-missed-you-so-much, yes-I-have</em>,” Star doted, enunciating the words in a baby voice as she rolled around on the ground, greeting each puppy in turn. Marco shifted Mariposa until she was comfortably cradled in both of his arms while his leg quickly darted out behind Star’s akimbo form and closed the door, so as to prevent any laser damage to the rest of the hallway.</p><p>Marco plopped himself down carefully onto his bed, first looking down to make sure his sister was unscathed from the commotion. Upon seeing the contentedness in her gaze, he looked back down to the floor where Star was rolling around in a storm of puppies. She seemed off back there, he thought. He knew her well enough at this point to be able to recognize when she was distraught, despite her apparent efforts to veil her sadness.</p><p>“Sooo,” Marco drew out the word, “Is this a quick visit before you and Tom set off on your trip? I, uh, thought you guys left already,” he mused in confusion.</p><p>“Not exactly,” Star replied, unable to fully meet Marco’s gaze as she lifted herself into a seated position on the floor, puppies lolling about in her lap. “Actually… I was hoping your parents—and you—wouldn’t mind if I stayed here for awhile. Just until I figure things out. I promise I won’t be in the way,” she spluttered hurriedly. “In fact, here!” Star raised her hand, radiating a blue magical beam that shot a hole through the wooden door of Marco’s room before exploding across the hall. “My own space, just like I had before!” She did not appear to be phased by the damage.</p><p>Marco let out something between a chuckle and a sigh as he beheld the hole freshly singed into his door, knowing full well that her signature bedroom had manifested just beyond it. If he was being honest with himself, Marco was grateful that she could access the full extent of her powers without the need of the wand, which, of course, was now rightfully in Eclipsa’s possession. Not only did it warm his heart with pride to see Star so powerful and accomplished (certainly compared to when he had first met her), but he was also relieved beyond words to be away from the magical heirloom. If last night’s peaceful sleep was any indication, he was hopeful that distancing himself from the wand might just be enough to make the nightmares fade away for good.</p><p>“Of course,” he confirmed. “You know you’re always welcome here, Star,” Marco smiled. Star was hardly an ideal babysitter, but it would be nice to have a companion around as he inevitably ended up watching his sister over the summer when his parents needed a break. <em>I know the feeling</em>, he muttered internally.</p><p>“Thanks, Marco,” Star beamed, finally able to meet his gaze. She returned his serene smile with one twice as dazzling. This time, it was Marco who found himself needing to look away for a moment as the threat of a blush warmed his cheeks.</p><p>“So… what do you have to ‘figure out’?” He asked hesitantly. Star groaned and got up from the floor, sending puppies toppling over one another as she moved to slump down beside him on the edge of the bed. She reached over to give Mariposa’s cheek a slight poke, and their shoulders brushed together as Marco lifted a hand to playfully swat hers away.</p><p>“Everything. I guess I just don’t know where I belong anymore,” Star admitted solemnly. “I thought it was with Tom, but the trip didn’t exactly, uhm, work out. And now we are kind of on a break, I guess?” She let out another groan, letting herself flop backwards across Marco’s bed. “I don’t even know where we stand right now,” she grumbled, covering her face with her hands.</p><p>“What happened?” Marco pressed gently as he watched her, concern lowering the volume of his voice. Star let a few beats pass before answering him just as quietly.</p><p>“I just… I wasn’t ready.”</p><p>Marco couldn’t help but notice a twinge of finality in her statement. The boy let his head nod in understanding, careful to control his expression as he averted his gaze and stared down at Mariposa’s dozing form instead. Something akin to hope, dread, and a healthy dose of guilt swirled around in Marco’s chest as Star sat up to return to her position at Marco’s side. He looked down at their legs dangling side by side, and then to her hand that rested atop the blanket, right beside his thigh.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he muttered. He was genuinely concerned for the happiness of both of his friends, but he would be lying to himself if he claimed to be sorry for anything beyond that.</p><p>“You okay?” He asked. Star nodded slowly and turned to meet his gaze. “I think I’ll be okay, yeah,” she said softly. “I’m happy I’m here.”</p><p>Marco’s gaze flitted down to the small smile that ghosted across her lips. He felt something electrify the air around him when he realized that he had been staring at them for a moment too long. As he averted his gaze once more, Marco decided that Star needed a distraction from her plight, and <em>he</em> needed to put some physical distance between them, sooner rather than later. He took a deep breath in an effort to diffuse the mix of hope and guilt that sat deep in his gut before leaning to the side and lightly nudging his friend’s shoulder.</p><p>“Look, it’s summer. You and I just skipped an entire year of school helping Mewni deal with, well, everything, really.” Star rolled her eyes knowingly in response. “So, I think we deserve to decompress and have some fun.”</p><p>Star’s eyes sparkled in excitement. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Diaz?” She stared at him with a look of awe and mischief. Marco still wasn’t sure how they were always on the same wavelength, but he knew for a fact that they were indeed thinking the exact same thing.</p><p>“Unfortunately, yes. But I’m only coming with for emotional support <em>and</em> to make sure you guys don’t destroy another club, <em>again</em>,” he stressed, letting his grumpy compliance appear far more begrudged than it actually was.</p><p>"'<em>You guys?’" </em>She echoed, her blue eyes somehow widening even more. His deep brown eyes narrowed in response.</p><p>“Call Pony,” Marco said as his voice dropped in defeat. “And whoever else. We’ll have some dinner and then leave whenever you’re ready,” he stated resolutely as he lifted himself from the bed, shifting Mariposa in his arms as he reached out to open the door with one hand.</p><p>“Marco?” He heard Star utter quietly from behind him. He started to turn back towards her.</p><p>“Yeah, Sta—<em>Oof</em>,” he grunted as she enveloped him in a crushing hug, her brute strength a clear indication of her Johansen descent. “You’re the best bestie,” she said, continuing to tighten her grip as her arms encircled his shoulders.</p><p>“Uhm, Star,” Marco squeaked, his airways clearly becoming constricted. “The… baby…” he barely managed to croak.</p><p>“<em>Ohmygosh</em>!” Star blurted, releasing her grip on him and jumping away as she crouched forward to examine the small, completely unscathed child in Marco’s arms. “Is she okay?!”</p><p>“She’s… fine…” He wheezed, desperately trying to suck air into his lungs. “I think… I got… the worst of it.”</p><p>“Good,” she said, bounding through the open door and across the hall towards her recently manifested bedroom. “Then what are we waiting fooooorrrr?!” Star bellowed deeply while doing a little wiggle and spinning around before racing towards her mirror.</p><p>Marco followed her for a couple of steps before quietly reaching out to close her bedroom door: a small measure to help minimize the sound of shouting and squealing that was sure to start pouring out of the girl’s room.</p><p><em>Well, so much for getting some space</em>, he lamented to himself. Marco’s smile only grew as he descended the stairs, holding his baby sister snugly against his pounding chest.</p>
<hr/><p>A portal opened up into Star’s room back in Echo Creek a few hours later. Star skipped through it, a thin sheen of sweat illuminating her elated complexion. Marco, meanwhile, followed shortly after, and far less enthusiastically (and far sweatier), dragging his feet from exhaustion. He groaned and peeled the sweat-drenched hoodie from his body. He walked into his bedroom and dutifully placed the dirty piece of clothing into the hamper, and then he immediately headed for the bathroom for a much-needed shower. Closing and locking the door behind him, he began by taking off his grey t-shirt and neatly folding it before he placed it on his pristine side of the double sink.</p><p>“Shotty showering first!” He heard Star exclaim from the other room. Dread filled his chest as the sound of her footsteps barreled down the hall in his direction.</p><p>“No way, Star!” Marco called to her in response, leaning his half-dressed body against the door as a barricade. “I got here first so you’re just going to have—” He heard a slight click as a faint trace of blue light radiated from door’s lock. The door began to open slowly, barely inhibited by his body weight, and he found himself gradually being wedged between the back of the door and the wall behind it as Star entered the bathroom. Marco leaned around the door and shot her a glare.</p><p>“What?” She huffed. “I said ‘shotty.’” Star reached behind the door and pulled Marco towards her, proceeding to effortlessly shove the shirtless and frazzled boy out of the room. She gave him a smile before closing the door between them. “Thank you!” She sung.</p><p>“<em>C’mon</em>,” he whined as he knocked on the door, even though he already knew he had lost the battle. “What if I had been naked in there?!” He shouted. He heard her laughter from beyond the door. “Can I at least have my shirt back?!”</p><p>The door opened after a beat of silence. Star poked her head out, taking account of Marco’s bare upper half as she struggled to check her giggles. Marco’s arms darted up and modestly wrapped around his chest; he hoped that his glare helped to conceal the crimson warmth behind his cheeks.</p><p>“Fine,” she smiled, tossing the now crumpled, grey ball of fabric towards his chest. Star closed the door in his face once again.</p><p>Quickly conceding (mostly due to exhaustion), Marco wandered away from the door and slipped the filthy shirt back over his head. He heard the shower come to life with a loud rush of water. Another sound—a faint trace of noise coming from the TV downstairs—echoed through the hallway. Just as he was about to re-enter his bedroom, a shrill yip coming from across the dark hall piqued his attention. Marco sighed and marched into Star’s room to retrieve the rogue laser puppy, specifically the one with the little black dot on one of its cheeks. He picked up Barko Diaz and gave a little <em>tsk</em> of dissatisfaction that made the puppy’s ears droop in shame.</p><p>"Tell me, Barko Diaz," he addressed the dog thoughtfully. "How do you rationalize still liking someone who throws you out of a bathroom unjustly and forces you to wait around in a sweaty shirt?"</p><p>The dog responded by licking Marco's face and proceeding to shoot a red hot blast of light which struck just above his eyebrow. Marco merely nodded in understanding as a grimace soured his expression.</p><p>Before he could reprimand the dog further, however, Marco saw something out of the corner of his eye. He did a double take at the reflection of light refracting off of Star’s mirror. His gaze moved to her balcony, where a bright red moon hung high in the night sky. He was almost certain it had nothing to do with the residual pain of the puppy's assault.</p><p>The sound of Star’s singing quietly drifted from down the hall and into the night air as Marco walked out onto the balcony, taking in the sight of the moon above him. Marco had seen a few harvest moons and eclipses in his life, but something about the sight suddenly made him uneasy. In fact, the more he thought about it, he had seen the moon glow with this particular shade of crimson more times than was probably possible in his relatively short life thus far (in Earth and Mewnian time, that is). Something akin to panic bubbled into his chest as Marco’s mind was filled with flashes of memories of the blood red moon constantly cropping up in his nightmares, in which its light always eerily refracted off of his reflection’s eyes. He realized that the moon hadn’t only appeared in his dreams, such as it was in this very moment. He remembered seeing it the first time he kissed Jackie, and then once again during Roberiot’s performance at the embarrassing fiasco that was Star’s Song Day. He realized that it was even there the night he kissed Star in the photo booth, recalling how it shone bright red as he and Kelly rode off on his dragon cycle. The supernaturally crimson moon had been present for the rest of that night, too, its light pouring in through his window as he sleeplessly replayed his and Star’s disastrous kiss.</p><p>Marco felt a dizzying wave of nausea as confusion and fear washed over him. He had no doubt that this was the same moon that first began to haunt him the night Star left for that creepy ball in the Underworld over a year ago. It was the reflection of this very moon in the bell which Tom had left her that consumed his attention, while he could have sworn that a disembodied voice (that may or may not have come from a painting of a sailor in Star’s room) had whispered ‘<em>Blood Moon tonight… The moon of lovers</em>’ to him.* For the first time in over a year, Marco let himself remember that night, and how the light of the Blood Moon had quieted his mind and left him with only one coherent thought:</p><p>
  <strong><em>Find Star</em>. </strong>
</p><p>It had done the exact same thing the night he kissed Jackie on their first date: it tore him out of the kiss, and the sight of it filled his mind with a continuous echo of that very same compulsion:</p><p>
  <strong><em>Find Star</em>.</strong>
</p><p>Now, standing under the bewitching crimson light, Marco failed to notice that the panic which had initially been rising in his chest at these revelations was quickly dissolving. He barely paid any mind to the puppy releasing itself from his arms and scampering out of the room; his arms merely fell limp at his sides as his wide eyes remained fixed to the moon above. Swept away in the recollections swirling around in his head, Marco helplessly remembered the way that he and Star had danced so closely that night in the Underworld. Then afterwards, back on this very balcony, how they had laughed together under the glimmer of the stars and the moon’s deep red glow. His inhibited mind quietly stole through the barriers he had fought long and hard to put up, and in his vulnerability he finally let himself recall how strongly he had felt towards her that night, and, for a brief moment, just how badly he wished to sweep her up in his arms once more and resume their dance under the stars.</p><p>They really hadn't known each other for long at the time, but it did nothing to lessen the pull he felt towards her. It really had only gotten stronger ever since.</p><p>The memories filled Marco’s chest with an unbridled longing, that which his waking mind seldom let him endure. Marco stood still, powerlessly gazing up at the moon as it entranced him with memories and whispers.</p><p>“Marco?” He heard a voice, <em>her</em> voice, call to him. It filled the air around him.</p><p>“Yes?” Marco absentmindedly murmured in response. His soft gaze did not waver from the sky above.</p><p>“Hellooooo? Anyone in there?” Star’s voice prodded. It wasn’t until he felt a hand rest firmly on his shoulder and start to shake him that Marco’s awareness came barreling back to him.</p><p>“<em>OHAAHH</em>!” He shouted, nearly jumping out of his skin at the sudden contact. His arms flailed about, and he lost his footing as he spun around to face her, which finally sent him toppling over.</p><p>“Woah!” She exclaimed as the commotion shattered the silence of the still summer night. “You good? You were, like, basically in another dimension for a second there,” she quipped with a slight edge of concern in her voice. Star reached out a hand to help the fallen boy up.</p><p>Marco couldn’t help but risk looking up to the sky one more time before taking her hand. The moon was casting its usual, iridescent white light over the world below. He quickly looked away and took Star’s hand in his, letting her hoist him back up into reality.</p><p>It wasn’t until Marco was fully upright that he finally took in what she was wearing: he felt something short circuit inside of him.</p><p>“I, uhm… What?” He spluttered, swallowing past the dryness in his throat. He proceeded to point at her torso and blink repeatedly, the only attempt at an explanation he could muster.</p><p>“Oh, yeah,” Star shrugged half-heartedly. “I yelled at you from the bathroom and told you I was borrowing one of your hoodies since it was just hanging up in there, but you <em>obviously</em> didn’t hear me, so…” she trailed off, flippantly gesturing towards the red hoodie she was wearing. “I hope it’s cool. I needed something cozy and it was there and I was feeling too lazy to conjure up anything beyond some leggings to go with it,” she rambled, clearly becoming more uncomfortable the longer she spoke. Tendrils of damp hair fell into her face as her eyes darted towards the floor.</p><p>“Oh—oh yeah, of course. It’s totally—” Marco tried to respond.</p><p>“—It’s weird, isn’t it?” She interjected hurriedly. “Okay, yeah. It’s weird. I’m sorry, I’ll just—”</p><p>“Star,” Marco cut her off, chuckling in disbelief at the surrealness of the past few minutes of his life. Her hand paused on the hoodie’s zipper. “It’s cool, I promise,” he assured her, cringing as his voiced cracked a bit at the end of the phrase. It wasn't the first time he had seen her wear one of his sweaters. It was, however, the first time that the sight had made him feel like he was treading water on an open ocean. <em>Why does everything she do have to be so cute?!</em> He internally screamed.</p><p>Star smiled back at him gratefully. “Sorry. And thanks,” she muttered, still slightly awkward. “You okay?” She asked him once again. Marco nodded, feeling as though he was returning to his body once again.</p><p>“I’m good. But, honestly, you <em>should</em> be sorry,” he shrugged, his voice betraying a tinge of playfulness. “I have been stuck standing here in my own sweat and general filth, waiting until you were through taking your sweet time in the shower.” Marco let out a huff of mostly feigned, but also somewhat genuine annoyance as he started to walk past her. “So, if you don’t mind, I am exhausted and sweaty, so I’m going to—”</p><p>His voice was cut off by the sensation of his t-shirt being grasped at from behind. He stood still with his back still facing her. He turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder while he raised a quizzical brow.</p><p>“Star?” Marco asked in confusion as he felt a shadow of uncharacteristic solemnity emanating from his friend once more. She wordlessly pressed her forehead into the space between his shoulder blades. Marco hoped she couldn’t feel the hammering sensation that threatened to explode from his chest. <em>I always assumed she would be the death of me, but I never thought it would happen like this</em>, he thought hopelessly as he let out a controlled breath.</p><p>“I don’t think I can fall asleep just yet,” Star finally murmured into his back. Marco took a moment to consider her statement.</p><p>“Still worrying about ‘figuring things out’?” He asked, still glancing down at her from over his shoulder.</p><p>She let out a mirthless chuckle. “Yeah, something like that,” she replied softly.</p><p>After a long night of dancing—or trying to corral a squad of rowdy girls, on his part—Marco knew the perfect way for them to end her first day back on Earth. He turned around and faced Star and let his hand rest on her shoulder.</p><p>“You are going to let me shower,” he stated firmly, giving her a pointed, unimpressed look which earned him a coy smile. “But once I’m done, meet me downstairs, okay?” He knew exactly what show his parents had been watching from the faint utterings that drifted upstairs from the television below. He had no doubt that it would be the best way to both keep her distracted, and to minimize any risks of intimate, one-on-one interactions, for his own sake.</p><p>“Okay,” Star nodded. After wrapping him up in another of her signature hugs, Star allowed Marco to leave the room and head down the hall.</p><p>Marco’s thoughts started reeling the moment he shut the bathroom door behind him. <em>I can’t believe I was thinking about all that stuff on the balcony… Her and Tom are still together!</em> He internally scolded himself. As if to mock him further, his brain replayed the image of Star clad in his hoodie while shyly avoiding his gaze. It then displayed the moment she grabbed onto his t-shirt and pulled him close, burying her face in his (admittedly still quite sweaty) back. <em>No, no, no, nope. You are a gentleman, Diaz. There will be no more of those thoughts tonight!</em> He knew he shouldn’t be feeling this strongly over a hoodie, nor over soggy marshmallows in a cereal bowl, nor her being even remotely close to him, for that matter. He had already messed up and kissed her once, and he wasn’t about to do anything to make things awkward like that again. As he started up the shower, Marco utilized every meditational skill in his arsenal to push the events of the last half hour or so out of his mind. He let the hot water wash it all away: the intense memories, the pining, and, most importantly, the haunting presence of the Blood Moon.</p><p>A while later, Marco descended the stairs, clad in a fresh pair of light blue pajamas. Star was peacefully tucked into the far side of the couch as Marco’s parents sat hip-to-hip on the opposite end. The trio’s eyes were glued to the television ahead of them, the sounds emanating from which confirmed that they were indeed (as he suspected) tuning into the latest episode of <em>Fiesta de la Noche</em>, the telenovela his parents got him and Star hooked on last year. Marco smiled and headed straight for the kitchen. He started up the kettle and laid out two sets of mugs, bowls, and spoons. He filled each bowl with a heaping dose of Captain Blanche’s Sugar Seeds and some milk, and proceeded to bring one of the bowls to into the living room to hand to Star. She smiled up at him quickly before her eyes immediately fell back towards the television, while Marco returned to the kitchen. He decided to top off their late-night sugar binge with a couple of mugs of hot cocoa, making sure to add extra sugar to Star’s and a pinch of cinnamon to his own. After a few trips back and forth bearing treats, Marco was comfortably perched beside Star on the armrest of the couch, his cereal in hand and hot cocoa on the nearby side table. He leaned down towards the girl who had already guzzled down the cereal and was now sipping at the steaming, sugar-filled contents of her mug.</p><p>“What did I miss?” He whispered as his tired eyes strained to keep up with the subtitles onscreen.</p><p>“Okay, so long story short: Marcia’s recently-found, long-lost twin sister, Valentina, just kidnapped Manuel’s son because she found out that Manuel has actually been the person anonymously blackmailing Marcia this whole time,” Star whispered hurriedly.</p><p>“No way, not Manuel!” Marco let out a hushed gasp, earning a chorus of shushes from the other side of the couch despite his and Star’s efforts to be quiet. The two teens laughed under their breath.</p><p>Marco couldn’t help but smile at how addictive, yet banal the drama of telenovelas now seemed to him since meeting Star. <em>Try being kidnapped and nearly crushed to death by a sociopathic, virtually unkillable lizard monster</em>, he thought to himself. He shook the thought out of his head as fast as he could, fearing the repercussions that could turn up in his dreams. The anxious cloud that had suddenly threatened to consume him, however, quickly dissipated with the pressure of Star’s shoulder as she comfortably leaned against his hip. She looked up at him and raised her mug, and the two teens clinked them together in a toast.</p><p>“To Valentina,” Star whispered, earning a shush from Angie and a gasp from Marco.</p><p>“How dare you root for the woman who kidnapped Manuel Jr.?” Marco chastised her betrayal. The two friends remained engrossed by the television until the final moments of the episode faded away and the credits began. The sound of Raphael Diaz’s distraught blubbering resounded through the house as Angie stood, shooing him up the stairs to bed.</p><p>“It’s just not fair!” Raphael sobbed from upstairs.</p><p>“Goodnight, you two. Not too late, okay?” Angie said, helping Marco carry their dishes into the kitchen. Star, meanwhile, sprawled out on the couch.</p><p>“You got it, Mrs. Diaz,” Star called. “Goodnight!”</p><p>“We’ll head to bed soon,” Marco assured his mom, loading the dishes into the sink.</p><p>“I’m glad she’s back,” whispered Angie. “It finally feels normal around here again.”</p><p>Marco couldn’t help but look at his mother in disbelief. “I don’t think that adjective has ever been used to describe any environment Star has been in.” The two shared knowing smiles, but the moment was quickly interrupted by the sound of Mariposa’s cry mixed with Raphael’s sobs cascading from the floor above.</p><p>“Don’t worry, mi pequeño angel, I will not let anyone steal you away!” Raphael cried. Angie rolled her eyes in Marco’s direction.</p><p>“I’m gonna go take care of this,” Angie sighed, kissing her son on the forehead before trudging upstairs.</p><p>Marco returned to the living room and found his best friend sprawled across the couch, already fast asleep despite the noise, not to mention the near-lethal amount of sugar in her system. Marco walked over to the other end of the couch from where she lay and picked up the remote, turning the volume down to a low murmur. A Spanish detective show had started, and Marco decided it was decent enough for him to absentmindedly watch for awhile before he would eventually wake Star up so that they could go to bed. As he grabbed a blanket and settled in beside his lightly snoring friend, he reminisced at memories of his younger self in the days where he vowed that he would be the world’s greatest detective. His parents even had a collection of pictures of him from a Halloween long ago, clad in a shawl, little brown cap, and wielding a massive magnifying glass. The memory suddenly left a sour taste in his mouth as he realized his hypocrisy. <em>Some detective I turned out to be. Here I am, clearly avoiding things and running away from my problems like a total Marco… </em></p><p>By coming back to Earth without the intention of returning to Mewni any time soon, Marco was essentially running away from what were likely the greatest mysteries of his life thus far: why he could do magic, why Toffee was haunting his nightmares, why the wand was calling to him, why the signature Butterfly cheek marks had appeared when he used it, and now, especially after tonight’s events, what all of this had to do with the constant presence of the Blood Moon. Not only that, but he had let one night without his usual nightmares—after almost half a year of their presence—convince him that maybe if he ignored the truths they potentially contained, all his worries would go away. He let his gaze linger on Star’s sleeping form and released a long breath he didn’t realize he had been holding.</p><p>Instead of facing his fears and talking to her about his ever-increasing and borderline debilitating feelings, Marco realized that he had spent most of the time since she arrived in Echo Creek this afternoon desperately trying to not be alone with her. He remembered their trip to the Plains of Time, and the screens that showed his life as merely a series of him nodding at Jackie Lynn Thomas, year after year after year. After that day, he had vowed never to waste time not taking chances and truly living. But that relationship, as well as his ‘breakup buddies’ situation with Kelly, were nothing like this. Marco truly didn’t know if his feelings were worth risking their friendship for.</p><p>Maybe someday, long from now, Star and Tom would be broken up for good, and maybe he would get the courage to tell her that his feelings hadn’t changed, or had in fact gotten so much worse that he had pretty much become obsessed with her. He never wanted to be apart from her, but it was becoming nearly impossible for him to ignore that he also wanted more.</p><p>As he sat in the glow of the television’s light, Marco realized that, just like his feelings for Star, the rest of his problems weren’t just going to go away. Even if they could, only a ‘Safe Kid’ would pass up the opportunity to uncover the mysteries that cast a shadow over their past, present, and future. He knew he was afraid of what the answers to his questions might be: he could really be magic like Star, or not even human at all. The ominous presence of the Blood Moon and the terrifying images of his nightmares made him fear not only for himself, but also for his best friend, even if he didn’t know why yet. But in the end, Marco had made a decision: he couldn’t stay away from her—just like he couldn’t run away from his fears—not when she needed him most.</p><p>The show’s end credits began to roll before fading into a flurry of commercials that blended easily into the background of Marco’s thoughts. As happy as he felt back at home in Echo Creek, Marco knew that the only place that could possibly hold the answers to his questions most likely resided in Mewni. <em>Maybe the palace has a library or archive that I could start some research in…</em> he thought as his eyes began to flutter closed. The last coherent thought that entered his mind before sleep overtook him was his vow to let him and Star have at least a couple of weeks on Earth to unwind after their chaotic last few months. No matter how determined he was to get back to Mewni, he knew they deserved that much.</p>
<hr/><p>A couple of weeks passed, during which the teens filled their time with seeing all their friends at Britta’s Tacos, watching bad sitcoms and great telenovelas while eating various junk foods, having a long-anticipated day at the beach, hanging out with Mariposa (and repeatedly being mistaken for her parents), and proceeding to lose Mariposa and Meteora in the NeverZone. The latter event was hardly the highlight of their vacation on Earth, to say the least. It did, however, mark the day that signalled to Marco that it was time to return to Mewni.</p><p>Ever since he and Star had returned from the NeverZone with the babies, Marco had been trying to figure out the best way to convince Star to return Mewni with him, all without making his personal agenda known. All he had to do was convince her to end her vacation and return to a place that didn’t feel like home to her anymore, for reasons he couldn’t explain to her. <em>How hard could it be?</em> He thought to himself sardonically as he sat on the edge of his bed one afternoon. Marco was dreading the conversation, that is, until he remembered the warning given to him by Hekapoo when she had visited him a few days prior, and then, of course, proceeded to leave the portal open which led to Meteora and Mariposa’s disappearance. The urgency of the memory caused Marco to dash across the hall and frantically knock at Star’s door.</p><p>“Star, I’m coming in!” He shouted, opening the door to her room.</p><p>“What’s up m’dude?” Star called nonchalantly from the second floor of the tower. She then magically transformed the spiral staircase into a slide before hurling herself down it. Marco blinked as his friend began to tumble down it rather ungracefully and then land on the ground with a heavy thud. “Yeah, yikes. Should have, uh… Should have saw that one coming,” she groaned from the floor.</p><p>“Star," Marco began, completely unphased. "Remember when I told you that Hekapoo gave me that really cryptic warning before we went to the NeverZone the other day? And how she said something about bad things happening on Mewni?”</p><p>Star’s eyes went wide and she shot up from the floor. “Oh my gosh, I totally forgot!” She gasped, holding her head in her hands.</p><p>“Me too,” he admitted.</p><p>“I have to talk to Eclipsa,” she exclaimed, hurriedly raising her hand and manifesting a blue portal in the middle of the room. The oval of light, however, only lasted for a handful of seconds before collapsing in on itself and disappearing from sight.</p><p>“What the heck?” Star wondered as she tried to create another in its place. By the third attempt with similar results, panic started to overtake the pair. “Okay, okay,” Star continued, slightly hyperventilating. “Maybe it’s because I’m getting worked up. Maybe if I just focus a little harder—"</p><p>“Wait, just hold on a second,” Marco interjected.</p><p>“What, Marco?” Star snapped, clearly distraught. Marco could feel himself growing increasingly uncomfortable at the conversation to come. He began to awkwardly scratch his head.</p><p>“I, uh… I know this is important and you need to go back right away. And I know that you also have things to figure out back home, and I want to give you the space you need to do that, but would it be alright if I came with you, just for a little while? I have some, uhm, loose ends to tie up, too. Plus, I really want to be there to help,” he rambled, trying his best to maintain eye contact with her.</p><p>“Oh. Duh, Marco. I was actually going to ask if you could come with me.” Star smiled at her suddenly awkward friend. “I may not technically be a princess anymore but it’s always nice to know I have a knight around who has my back… Not to mention one who can kick some serious butt if need be. So are you in?”</p><p>“Yes. Please,” Marco croaked, then breathed out a sigh of relief. Star looked at him quizzically and he struggled to compose himself. “I mean, yeah, sure. I’m happy to help!”</p><p>“Are you sure? You’re all settled back in at home now, and I don’t want you to feel obligated to be by my side,” she said with a twinge of guilt in her voice.</p><p>“I’ll always be there for you, Star. No matter what,” he shrugged, smiling fondly at the most important person in his world.</p><p>“Awww, Marco. Huuuugs,” she said, and the two friends embraced. Marco failed to see the blush that made the hearts on Star’s cheeks glow.</p><p>“Also, I’m technically a knight now, remember? It’s my duty to help,” he corrected her, only partially teasing her through the veil of his pride. Star snorted in response.</p><p>“Sure, sure, sure, Diaz. How is that life-long post coming along?” She taunted him as they stepped apart from their embrace.</p><p>“I’d say it’s going just fine,” he shrugged as he rolled his eyes and shoved her arm playfully. Mortification billowed within him as he realized what he had just implied. The two stared at each other with wide eyes for a second before Marco regained the ability to speak.</p><p>“I’m gonna,” he pointed a thumb over his shoulder towards the door. “I’ll be back,” he announced hurriedly as he turned and fled through the doorway.</p><p>Star’s small smile lasted for only a moment after his departure, for it fell from her face rather suddenly and melted into panicked frustration as she proceeded to try and conjure another portal.</p><p>Marco, meanwhile, quickly retreated from the room to tell his parents that he and Star had to return to Mewni straightaway. Something about the way he said goodbye to them, and the way he felt as he held Mariposa in a tight embrace left him with the sinking feeling that yet another chapter of his life was ending before his very eyes. But whatever was wrong back in Mewni, and the possibility of unlocking the secrets that haunted his waking and sleeping mind, were too pressing for him to even consider staying behind.</p><p>And so, after almost an hour of frantically struggling to open a portal, the teens were beginning to feel hopeless. No matter how many times they tried Marco’s scissors, or attempted to use Star’s mirror or phone to call for help, nothing seemed to work. The air hung heavy with dread and anxiety as the two fought to catch their breath.</p><p>“Need a hand?” Glossaryck’s smooth voice intoned as he suddenly appeared between the pair. Star and Marco screamed in alarm at his sudden intrusion.</p><p>“What the heck? Glossaryck?!” Star exclaimed. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with Eclipsa and the book?”</p><p>“Oh, I don’t work for her. Besides,” he shrugged. “It sounds like all the fun is happening over here.” Star rolled her eyes.</p><p>“No, Gloss, we are trying to get home but we can’t communicate with anyone and neither the scissors nor my magic can open a portal.”</p><p>“Oh, why didn’t you say so?” Glossaryck asked as a shining blue portal suddenly opened behind him.</p><p>“Oh my gosh, thank you!” Star said graciously, grabbing Marco’s wrist as she began to pull him towards the portal. Marco grabbed onto her hand and firmly removed it in one swift motion.</p><p>“Why are you helping us?” Marco asked suspiciously as he turned to face the floating entity he had always disliked.</p><p>“Huh, you’re right. Silly me,” Glossaryck mused. The portal behind him blinked out of existence and Star let out a frustrated groan.</p><p>“No!” Star shouted, shooting a glare in Marco’s direction before returning her fiery gaze to Glossaryck. “We don’t have time for this!”</p><p>Marco let out a sigh and quickly realized that this was their best shot at getting back to Mewni. “Fine. I’m sorry, Glossaryck. Can you <em>please</em> get us home?” Marco pleaded.</p><p>“Well now, what’s the magic word?” Glossaryck asked, clearly needling the boy.</p><p>“Oh, c’mon! I said please!” Marco shrieked in desperation.</p><p>Star responded by rolling her eyes and manifesting a small container of pudding along with a spoon, which she sent flying towards the floating being of pure magic.</p><p>“Now that’s more like it,” Glossaryck smirked as he caught the objects in the toes of each foot. The room was filled with light once more as the portal reopened before their eyes. “Shall we?” He asked, slipping through the portal at a horizontal angle, pudding- and spoon-clad feet first.</p><p>Without another moment of delay, Star and Marco stepped through it and found themselves on the steps leading up to the Monster Temple. Making sure to close the portal securely behind them, the teens hesitantly began their ascent.</p><p>Star and Marco realized pretty soon upon their arrival to Mewni that no one in the royal court, nor any of Star’s friends, knew about the strange happenings that Hekapoo warned of. Marco had a feeling that Hekapoo had purposefully tried to close off all portals and communication with Earth to keep him and Star away, and that she must not have been aware that Glossaryck had interfered to get them here. Marco was still suspicious as to why he did it, seeing as there was no pressing emergency, so far as they could tell.</p><p>Over the next few days, no matter how much reconnaissance they did, Star and Marco were unable to detect anything out of the ordinary in Mewni. Hekapoo and the rest of the High Commission, however, were completely unreachable. Something in Marco’s gut told him that this felt like the calm before the storm.</p>
<hr/><p>It was his and Star’s second day back in Mewni when Marco had finally gotten the chance to sneak away while Star was visiting her parents in the mewman village. Beginning his quest for answers to his overwhelming amount of questions, he had spent nearly the entire day cooped up in library he found in the abandoned Butterfly castle, researching everything he could about the Butterfly family’s magic. As it turns out, the day had been a total bust, but he came across a few titles which he vowed to go back and examine as soon as he could. That night, Marco was walking past the throne room of the Monster Temple on his way up to his room—which was an exact replica of his room back home, once again, thanks to Star—feeling more than a little dejected.</p><p>“Marco, dear!” He heard the queen’s tinkling voice call out to him. He paused in the entrance to the grand room, addressing Eclipsa, who sat on the throne next to Globgor, with a slight wave. As he did, he had to step to the side to allow a group of grumbling monsters to exit the hall.</p><p>“Hi, Your Majesties. What’s going on?” Marco asked, pointing a thumb over his shoulder to the disgruntled group. He watched Globgor’s shoulders shake as he let out a delighted guffaw.</p><p>“‘Your Majesties,’” he repeated jovially. “I don’t think I will ever get used to that.” The king’s warm laugh echoed quietly throughout the room. Eclipsa grasped his hand and joined in with a giggle of her own before turning her attention back to Marco. The boy now stood before them, hands awkwardly stuffed in the pockets of his hoodie.</p><p>“Oh, love. I think we are well past such formalities by now, don’t you think?” The queen smiled. “As for <em>that</em>,” she replied to Marco’s inquiry and nodded towards the doorway the others had just exited through. “Just one of many, <em>many</em> property disputes as of late.” As if right on cue, an uproar of shouts bellowed through the halls towards the throne room.</p><p>“Queen Eclipsa!” The queen’s winged servant exclaimed as he burst into the room.</p><p>“What is it?” She called in response.</p><p>“We have a bit of a problem out here… a couple of monsters and a big group of mewman protestors are fighting in the courtyard!” Eclipsa and Globgor groaned in synchronized frustration, while Meteora—who had been previously asleep in her stroller at Eclipsa’s side—began to let out a high-pitched wail at the commotion. The king placed his hand over the queen’s for a short moment before standing up and following the servant out of the throne room. Eclipsa, meanwhile, quickly waved Marco over to her.</p><p>“Marco,” she said. “I have to go deal with this. Can you take Meteora up to bed? The last time she was around a tiff like this she got upset and caused quite a bit of damage,” she huffed as she stood and smoothed the front of her signature purple gown.</p><p>Marco looked down at the sniffling baby and felt his stomach drop. In Meteora’s hands rested the Butterfly wand, which had understandably taken on a new appearance: it was light maroon with purple stripes, vaguely shaped like her own tail, and featured little horns at the top of a glowing black orb which sat at its peak. The baseball-sized orb was currently lodged in the baby’s mouth and quickly becoming covered in slobber. Marco gulped as he felt a rush of anxiety crest within him.</p><p>“D—Don’t you want to take that with you, you know, in case things escalate?” He stuttered, backing away from the stroller.</p><p>“Nonsense,” Eclipsa shrugged, “I won’t use magic on my people. Besides, I doubt anyone would want to pick a fight with my husband,” she chuckled. She crouched down and gave the now gurgling baby a quick kiss on the forehead. “Also, her fangs are still coming in and she needs something to gnaw on that can handle the damage.”</p><p>“I don’t know, Eclipsa…”</p><p>“Also, I would not try to take that away from her until she’s done with it. It does <em>not</em> end well,” the queen laughed.</p><p>“Eclipsa, I don’t think I’m comfortable—”</p><p>“Hey, what’s going on?” Star’s high voice suddenly rang through the hall. “Do you want some help in the courtyard? It’s looking a bit tense out there,” she said as she poked her head into the grand doorway.</p><p>Marco took in her slightly muddied appearance, no doubt due to spending time with her father. Despite her clearly disheveled state, Marco had to give his head a slight shake to bring himself back into the moment. He groaned internally at the absurdity of the effect Star had on him. <em>It’s still  getting worse, I swear</em>, he thought to himself hopelessly.</p><p>“Oh no, dear, it’s alright. I’m coming as soon as Marco brings Meteora up to bed!” Eclipsa cheerily replied to Star’s question.</p><p>“But what if Meteora—?” Marco tried to argue before he was interrupted once again.</p><p>“She’s just a baby, dear,” the queen reassured him, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder.</p><p>“Yeah, Marco, she’s just a baaaaby,” Star teased. Marco proceeded to hastily meet her in the middle of the room. He grabbed Star’s arms and held her firmly in place with desperation in his eyes.</p><p>“You’ve gotta get me out of here,” he half-whispered gravely.</p><p>“What? No way, I’m going to see Kelly. I definitely need to decompress after spending the day with my parents. It was weird though, cause Mom didn’t really seem all that happy to see me—”</p><p>“Maybe I can come with! Marco interjected, nodding rather manically. “Then I can tell Eclipsa I’m busy!”</p><p>“Marco, love, I can hear you,” Eclipsa sang from behind the pair as she lifted her child out of the stroller and twirled her around, causing a fit of giggles to erupt from the baby and her mother.</p><p>“No way, my dude. Kelly is still a liiiitttlle salty about you ditching her, which, by the way was a very lame move. There is no way I’m bringing you,” Star asserted, releasing herself from his iron grip.</p><p>“Hey, I was trying to be the good guy. I just wanted to be honest!” Marco defended himself, his voice cracking slightly as his arms flailed about in exasperation.</p><p>“Honest about what, Mr. Diaz?” Star implored, rolling her eyes. She suddenly narrowed her gaze on him. “You know, you never told me why you and Kelly stopped hanging out,” she pressed with a suspicious look in her eye.</p><p>Marco blinked once, then twice.</p><p>“Yep, okay, I’m coming Eclipsa!” He called, spinning on his heel and waving over his shoulder at his friend as he hurried away. “Have fun, Star, bye!”</p><p>“Marco Diaz! We are <em>not</em> done talking about this!” Star shrieked, before eventually huffing and stalking out of the room.</p><p>“Lovely. Now, I’ll be back in a jiffy!” Eclipsa sang cheerfully, plopping the wand-gnawing infant back in her stroller and patting Marco on the head before running off. “Coming, Globby!”</p><p>Marco stood over Meteora’s reclining form and began to momentarily panic.</p><p>“Okay, let’s just get this over with. C’mon, Diaz. She’s just a baby…” he muttered to the near-empty room and took a deep breath. He knew, of course, that the real cause of his anxiety wasn’t the child herself, but the glowing object she held between her teething gums. Marco had babysat Meteora a handful of times before, and he was used to her mistreatment of him at this point. But he had never had to worry about her wielding the wand before, or worse, bringing it anywhere near him.<em> I’m near the wand. The baby has the wand. It’s fine, I’m fine,</em> Marco chanted to himself as his breathing quickened. He felt his skin pale as the sweat on his back—which was already damp from his latest bout of awkwardness with Star—run cold. Marco gripped the stroller’s handle until he could feel his knuckles start to turn white. He then pushed the wheeled contraption forward and began to briskly walk towards the staircase.</p><p>The boy let out a groan as he realized that he would have to awkwardly hoist the stroller up the stairs. Just as the thought entered his mind, however, the entire staircase magically transformed into a ramp. Marco rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Typical,” he muttered, but he couldn’t deny that he was grateful for the magical intervention. "I sure could have used this kind of luxury in the NeverZone…" Marco added in spite. He quickly shook that train of thought out of his head as he forcefully pushed the stroller up the ramp and onto the next floor.</p><p>Marco’s march down the Monster Temple’s elaborate and dark hallways was accompanied by Meteora’s gaze as she glared at him from over the top of the stroller. He tried to ignore the child, but the combination of the stress from Meteora’s sour mood, his proximity to the wand, and the leftover discomfort from his latest interaction with Star was enough to make his head throb. <em>What was I supposed to do? Say: ‘Well, Star, you see, I realized that my feelings for you were actually only growing stronger, so I thought it would be a little rude to lead someone on as I became more and more obsessed with every little thing about you’?</em> He thought to himself sardonically.</p><p>As the teen and the child approached the royal bedchamber at the very end of the hallway, Marco’s attempt to reach for the doorknob was thwarted by the door swinging open on its own.</p><p>“Yeesh, does anyone <em>actually</em> lift a finger around here?” He wondered aloud. There was a part of Marco which recognized that perhaps being tormented by Star’s earliest attempts at wielding the wand left him with a bitter taste in his mouth for magic.</p><p>The moment the words left his mouth, Meteora darted up from the top of the stroller and whapped him on the head with the spherical apex of the wand.</p><p>“HEY!” Marco screeched, coming to a halt in the threshold of the king and queen’s bedroom. The baby merely reeled back to strike him again, but Marco quickly ducked down just in time. He hastily pushed the stroller the rest of the way into the room and took a few steps back from the irritable heir to Mewni’s throne.</p><p>“I know you don’t like me, Meteora, but I <em>need</em> you to let me put you in your crib, okay? Then I will leave you alone,” Marco muttered in frustration through his clenched jaw. His head was pounding surprisingly hard from the mere split second of contact. Marco took two careful steps forward and reached out his arms, only to hear a thump reverberate inside his skull as the wand made contact just below the crown of his head.</p><p>“<em>OUCH</em>! Meteora!” He snapped. Marco took a moment to back up and place his hands on his hips as he began to tap his foot in frustration. “Fine, <em>fine</em>. I’ll just wait. We can do this all night, but that means you’re just going to be stuck with me,” he conceded, making sure his high-pitched voice sounded as firm as possible. Marco’s plan, however, quickly backfired.</p><p>Meteora responded by screeching and hurling the wand at him. Marco instinctively caught the magical object before it could hit the ground. A gasp escaped his throat as he realized that he probably only had a handful of seconds until his day got a lot worse.</p><p>“Nope, not happening!” He exclaimed as he gently tossed the wand back into the stroller beside the child.</p><p>“Please, Meteora—Wait!” Marco shouted as the baby sent the wand barreling his way once more. The rather comical back-and-forth continued until Meteora, after hurling the wand at Marco one last time, proceeded to launch herself from the stroller and into the air towards the bars of her crib.</p><p>“Meteora, <em>no</em>!” Marco shouted, terrified that the child would tumble to the ground. He raced toward her with one arm outstretched, but the baby had already latched onto the topmost beam of her bed and scurried inside. She sat down and let out a deafening screech that made Marco cringe.</p><p>“Really?!” He exclaimed, raising his arms in irritation.</p><p>His arms froze in mid-air as his eyes landed on the object in his hands. The wand, still shaped to reflect its previous holder, began to emanate a red light. Knowing that he couldn’t drop the object in fear of breaking it, but fully recognizing what was to come, Marco could only grip the wand in both hands and brace himself. The orb at the top of the wand began to spark to life as a surge of power coursed through Marco’s veins.</p><p>“No, no, <em>nonono</em>!” He bellowed as dread and adrenaline consumed him. This time, however, the wand’s transformation didn’t send him soaring through the air—the force merely knocked him to the ground.</p><p>“Not again!” Marco groaned and sat up into a sitting position. He beheld the wand’s familiar green, spiked, and winged form, but his thoughts began to muddle as the headache that had been building since Meteora’s first assault suddenly spiked in severity. Marco scrunched his eyes closed for a moment, trying to single out the cacophony of indecipherable whisperings that suddenly permeated the space behind his eyes. He failed to hear the clicking of heels approaching.</p><p>“How’s my little—” Eclipsa’s speech cut off when she halted shortly after entering the room. She took in the scene before her, clearly confused. “Marco, is everything—?” Her voice stopped the moment her eyes flickered down from Meteora and landed on the foreign object half-hidden in Marco’s lap. Marco’s head snapped up as he looked at the queen, his tired gaze watery and laden with despair.</p><p>“What’s going on?” Eclipsa whispered.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Marco choked out. He hung his head and slowly raised the wand from his lap and up towards the queen, allowing her to see the object in full view. Eclipsa gasped at the sight.</p><p>“Oh dear. Alright, hold on.”</p><p>Eclipsa rushed over and swiftly tucked Meteora into bed. The baby let out one final hiss in Marco’s direction as he slowly pulled himself up off the floor. Once the child was settled in, Eclipsa nodded for Marco to follow her out the door of the bedroom and she began to hurry down the hall. Marco tucked the sharp head of the wand into the pocket of his hoodie and hurriedly followed the queen into the dark hallway, shutting the bedroom door behind him.</p><p>Eclipsa didn’t speak a single word as she led him down a series of dimly lit, winding hallways. Marco, in the meantime, was terrified of what was to come. Eclipsa was the queen, after all, and she had every right to do whatever she saw fit to protect her family’s priceless heirloom. At the same time, even though he distrusted Eclipsa initially, she had since become such an important confidante in his life. She was an unexpected friend like Tom and Kelly and even Hekapoo, complicated as all those relationships were. As worried as Marco was at the moment, hurriedly shuffling down shadowy hallways he had never seen before, a part of him wondered if maybe, just maybe, Eclipsa could have the answers he desperately sought.</p><p>Marco found out during his time snooping around in the Butterfly castle's private library that the Magic High Commission had some sort of archive, but he was probably going to have to talk to Hekapoo to gain access. And since she seemed to be unreachable as of late—for even the portals to her dimension were seemingly closed off—Marco knew that he was on his own in his quest for answers. He figured that Hekapoo must not have been able to find out anything about his magical abilities like she promised she would, or else she surely would have let him know by now. He knew she was busy with whatever cryptic thing she claimed was occurring in Mewni, and he felt bad for not taking her advice and staying on Earth, but Marco was beginning to lose faith that Hekapoo could help him figure out what was happening to him. <em>So maybe Eclipsa can…</em> he thought wearily, but with a glimmer of hope.</p><p>Eclipsa finally stopped at the very end of a long hallway and ushered Marco through a large wooden door, closing it firmly behind them. The room remained dark for only a split second before dozens of candles scattered about the room magically ignited upon their entrance. The warmly lit study was decorated with furniture in various shades of deep purple and black, while towering shelves crammed with books lined the walls. The room even featured a massive fish tank, and in front of that sat a grand, violet couch. Marco stood awkwardly by the door, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his sweater while Eclipsa walked around an ornate black and silver coffee table and took a seat on the large couch behind it. She patted the spot beside her, but Marco was too stressed to sit. He walked over and placed the wand down beside the queen and proceeded to pace about the room instead.</p><p>"I just don't know what's happening anymore, Eclipsa. Every time I grab the wand <em>this</em> happens and now... Now I just can't stop thinking about it. I can <em>hear</em> it, like it’s trying to talk to me, but I can’t understand what it’s saying. And it looks weird, right? Am I crazy? I must sound completely crazy,” Marco rambled at an uncontrollable pace as his pent-up anxieties got the better of him. Eclipsa, on the other hand, began to laugh quietly to herself from the couch. Marco’s hands flew to his hips in distress.</p><p>“How can you be so calm right now?!” Marco exclaimed in a hushed voice. He didn’t want to attract any unwanted attention, even if they were tucked away in some unknown part of the Monster Temple.</p><p>"You know,” the queen mused, “I didn't think mine suited me much either at first. But I found that I eventually grew into the style."</p><p>"But how am I supposed to ‘grow into’ <em>that</em>?!” Marco hissed, pointing towards the wand at Eclipsa’s side. “<em>Yours</em> looks like you: it's purple, like your dark magic, and it clearly works with your kind of soft-Gothic style. I mean, the various shades of violet jewel tones even compliment your complexion and hair col—”</p><p>"Marco, Marco, dear,” Eclipsa interrupted abruptly. “As flattered as I am at your appreciation of my appearance, not to mention impressed by your amount of knowledge on the matter... I think that you may be overthinking this."</p><p>“Your Majesty?” Marco asked, which received him a rather pointed look from the queen. “I mean, <em>Eclipsa</em>,” he corrected himself. “I just… How does <em>this</em> represent me, then?” He implored in disdain, gesturing towards the winged object that lay on the couch across from where he stood.</p><p>Eclipsa looked down at the wand and the room fell silent. Marco tried to force away the whispers that called out to him and restrain the urge to pick the magical object up again.</p><p>"Why does it even react to me? Humans can't do magic..." Marco whispered, shaking his head in disbelief and frustration.</p><p>Eclipsa remained quiet, but he could see the thoughts churning behind her eyes. Perhaps she hadn’t fully understood that he was human, and therefore removed from magical ability. Marco, in the meantime, finally gave into his curiosity; he walked over to the queen and reached down beside her. He then tentatively grasped the wand with a shaking hand.</p><p>"It's this weird shade of green, which is probably one of my least favourite colours to begin with,” he began to explain to her breathlessly. “It has these creepy wings on it, too. And what's up with this spike?! I know I can hold my own in a fight, but I hardly think I’m <em>this</em> aggressive of a person. And why do I hear it, as if it can talk to me? A—And what am I supposed to tell Star?" He paused his distressed rambling for a brief moment as the thought of his best friend caused his stomach to flip in worry. His grip on the wand tightened.</p><p>"Oh <em>nononononono</em>, I can’t keep lying to her, I—I’m a terrible liar!” He exclaimed in a panic. “She asked me how she looked the other day—and obviously she looked amazing—but I just stood there and stuttered for like half a minute and then I told her she looked ‘like a great pal’ and then I walked into a door trying to leave the room! She’s gonna know I’m hiding things from her, if she doesn’t already! I can't ruin our friendship like this, sh—she's everything to me! And now she’s never going to want to be with—"</p><p>Marco’s rambling was cut off by Eclipsa's sudden gasp. The queen covered her mouth with her hands and her eyes opened wider than Marco had ever seen them do before. Caught up in the moment, Marco hadn’t noticed the air in the room start to shift and swirl, nor the wand coming to life in his hands with a light red glow. His cheeks felt as though they were on fire once he saw the way the queen was looking at him; he realized just how insane he must have sounded to her.</p><p>Without a word, the queen stood up from the couch and slowly approached him. Once she was close enough, Eclipsa reached out a hand towards his face, but seemed to hold herself back out of trepidation at the last moment. Her lips twitched as they tried to form words. Marco realized that the burning in his cheeks was due to more than mere embarrassment.</p><p>“<em>Oh no</em>,” Marco gasped. He moved past the queen and rushed over to the fish tank that loomed over the couch. His reflection in its glass revealed a sight he had only ever seen in person once before: two clearly defined, light red crescent moons radiated from each of his cheeks. Terrified, Marco took a second to study his reflection. He remembered the glimpse he caught of the cheek marks in Star’s mirror the day he wielded the wand for the very first time. But even then, the split second he got to see them left him with doubt: he never asked Janna whether she saw them or not, and he had already confirmed while talking to Hekapoo that she (or H-Poo, technically) hadn’t seen them. He was never fully certain that they actually existed outside of his nightmares—until now, at any rate.</p><p>Marco couldn’t decide if he wanted to cry, scream, or laugh.</p><p>He looked down at the wand still firmly grasped in his hand, and then turned back to Eclipsa who remained frozen in place behind him. She let herself walk a few steps before collapsing backwards onto the couch. She then pulled out a fan from the pocket of her purple dress and began to revive herself with the cool breeze.</p><p>"Eclipsa, wait. Please don't panic!” Marco pleaded. “It's just Star's magic, right? It's just because of how close we are?" Even he didn't believe the words he spoke—words which he so desperately wanted to be true.</p><p>“Dear, you don’t get magic just by being near someone. It’s not a cold,” Eclipsa sighed, her voice uncharacteristically hoarse. She then let out a chuckle of disbelief.</p><p>“You don’t?” Marco croaked. He swallowed down a lump in his throat as dread sunk deeply into his gut.</p><p>"Well, this is new," Eclipsa laughed nervously, clearly in shock. "I mean, I knew about Uncle Jushtin,* but I just had no idea at all that you..."</p><p>"Who's Jushtin? What are you talking about?" Marco asked, bewildered by the vagueness of her statement.</p><p>"Oh dear, this is awkward. Uhm, Marco... Gosh, I feel terrible asking this, because I would never want to intrude or be so invasive,” she rambled. “But… Have you always referred to yourself as a <em>boy</em>?"</p><p>"What?!" Marco shrieked. The thought of Princess Turdina popped into his mind, but he hardly thought that his empowering battle persona was relevant at the moment.</p><p>"Well, oh goodness. You see, Butterfly magic is passed down between <em>female</em> mewmans, and well..." She trailed off.</p><p><em>Oh. Oh!</em> Marco thought, realizing the implication of her words.</p><p>His arms flailed up and down his body as he gestured dramatically. "I was born this way, Eclipsa,” Marco groaned. "I don't think it's that easy.” He really, really wished it were. “Plus, I’m not a mewman.”</p><p>"Oh. Right,” Eclipsa whispered, nodding in understanding. “Wait… Where did you say you were from?" She asked, her face suddenly perking up with the beginnings of an idea.</p><p>"Earth. It's not in this dimension,” Marco shrugged. “Why?”</p><p>"Earth? You're kidding," Eclipsa balked. She quickly jumped up off the couch and walked past Marco. She stopped before a painting at the far end of the room.</p><p>"Marco, this is Captain Alphonse the Worthy,* my father," Eclipsa proclaimed, gesturing to the portrait of a sea captain which Marco recognized instantly. The queen beamed with pride, but Marco could see a touch of something bittersweet behind her eyes.</p><p>“Wait… him? <em>He’s</em> your father? I thought that was just a magical picture in Star’s room that could talk,” Marco mused.</p><p>Eclipsa blinked once. “What?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m pretty sure he spoke to me once,” Marco muttered, feeling more than slightly disturbed. “He, uh, didn’t say much.” He could still hear the portrait’s eerie whisper: ‘<em>Blood Moon Tonight… The moon of lovers…</em>’ In fact, now that he thought about it, Marco realized that the name Alphonse sounded familiar: it was the name of the man who wrote the book that Star showed him before he moved back to Echo Creek a few weeks ago, the one her and Tom were going to use to pick a spot for their trip.</p><p>“Hm, I dare say he’s never once spoken a word to me,” Eclipsa huffed, crossing her arms. “Awfully rude of you, Captain,” she addressed the painting with a pout. Marco thought it was strange that she referred to the man so casually, but he figured it was best not to pry.</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait. What does any of this have to do with, you know, <em>this</em> problem?” Marco asked as he raised the wand in one hand and gave it a slight shake. He then used his other hand to gesture towards his cheeks, his hand frantically circling his face.</p><p>“Well, it’s a bit of a long story,” explained Eclipsa. “Basically, my grandmother, Queen Skywynne, once deployed a spell that accidentally deleted gravity. During which time, about sixteen mewmans floated well beyond Mewni’s atmosphere and apparently ended up on another planet.*”</p><p>“That is not possible,” Marco said flatly with a deadpan expression.</p><p>“Ah, but it’s magic, dear. Keep an open mind,” Eclipsa smirked. “Plus, everyone knows mewmans are far more resilient than regular humans,” she added with a wink. Marco had a hard time believing what he was hearing, but he knew that he didn’t have much knowledge on the matter to dispute it.</p><p>“So, after the High Commission had called a cease-fire between monsters and mewmans during my mother’s reign,” she said with what Marco construed as a look of disgust. “The Captain and Hekapoo set out to rescue the mewmans who had been lost to space a few decades prior.* The results of the mission were kept secret from the public because, well, Alphonse didn't come back; only Hekapoo returned. But a few years later, I found a document while snooping around the Archive that stated—"</p><p>“—Wait, you’ve been to the Royal Archive?!” Marco interjected excitedly. <em>Maybe she can get me in</em>, he mused.</p><p>“Of course, dear. I am the queen, you know,” Eclipsa shrugged while waving her hand about in a flippant gesture.</p><p>"Now, it’s rude to interrupt people. Anyway," she continued, "the document stated that Hekapoo tracked the lost mewmans to another dimension, and then used a portal in the Magic to access it. She claimed that the planet the mewmans landed on was called Earth. But after arriving and being unable to trace the lost mewmans among the large populations of humans, Hekapoo revealed on the record that Alphonse chose not to return to Mewni with her. But, as I said, most of this was kept under wraps, I assume due to the rather unanticipated loss of the Captain. “But the document claimed that the Magic High Commission has suspected that various lines of half-mewmans could now potentially exist on Earth because of him and the other sixteen mewmans—assuming they survived and proceeded to have children, of course. Granted, it has been thought since discovering Earth that mewmans are most likely descended from humans somehow—most likely via the portal Hekapoo found connecting Earth to the Magic—but due to the lack of magical activity on your planet, until Star arrived, that is, no one has felt the need to investigate Earth any further. And then there's you."</p><p>She walked back over to the couch and once again took a seat, welcomingly patting the spot beside her. “Sorry if that was a lot,” Eclipsa apologized, looking a bit embarrassed. “I’ve always had a knack for history… And a bit of a taste for snooping through places I probably shouldn’t.” She let out a bit of an awkward chuckle. The room fell silent as her words hovered in the air between the two.</p><p>Marco barely noticed himself drifting over to the couch and taking a seat beside the queen; his thoughts were racing. <em>So I’m somewhat mewman, </em>Marco admitted internally.<em> I can’t believe Hekapoo didn’t tell me anything about this. Why would she hide this when she knows how much this has been affecting me? She should have told me something when she realized that I could do magic.</em></p><p>Marco held his head in his hands and peeked at the wand that now rested in his lap. The unceasing whirring and whispering noises he had been trying to ignore were causing his head to thrum with a dull ache once more. He rubbed his cheeks, which no longer burned; he assumed that their light had faded away. He still didn’t understand what made them appear again in the first place. <em>All I was doing was panicking about Star… Kind of like the first time they showed up when I used the All-Seeing Eye spell.</em> Thoughts of his cheek marks, his magical abilities, the wand, and his probable his mewman descent all assembled into a dizzying cacophony in Marco’s mind.</p><p>He felt like he was either going to throw up or pass out.</p><p>"This can't be happening,” Marco groaned, still holding his head and looking down into his lap.</p><p>“What?” Eclipsa asked. “That you’re partially mewman or that you and I could potentially be distant relatives?”</p><p>“I mean everyth—wait <em>WHAT</em>?” Marco screeched as his head darted upwards and whipped around face the queen. Eclipsa let out a tinkling laugh in response to the young man’s shock.</p><p>“I knew there was a reason I liked you so much. And apparently the Captain does too,” she smirked, lightly patting Marco on the shoulder.</p><p>Marco’s eyes drifted back up to the portrait of Eclipsa’s father. <em>Wait…</em> he thought as he glanced down at the wand once more. <em>Does it… does it kind of look like a ship’s wheel?</em> He wondered, unsure if the resemblance held any truth, or if his mind was just projecting the idea out of convenience.</p><p>Marco’s head was reeling.</p><p>He took a moment to puzzle over his connection to the man in the painting: he was certain that this was the same man in the portrait which ended up in Star’s room, but Star seemed to bear little to no connection to the painting, beyond perhaps recognizing Alphonse from the book he wrote on the multiverse. There was a chance that he was Marco’s distant relative, and therefore the reason for his partial mewman descent. Even more, Alphonse had clearly spoken to Marco the night of the Underworld’s Blood Moon Ball, urging him to follow Star which, of course, resulted in them dancing under the light of the Blood Moon together—the very light which had been haunting his dreams and reality ever since.</p><p>“I think…” Marco squeaked, raising his trembling index finger. “…That I am going to pass out.”</p><p>“Oh dear. My poor boy,” Eclipsa cooed, holding her arms out to hug him. The two sat on the couch in an embrace, and the queen could feel his laboured breaths against her shoulder. “But when you think about it, does this really change all that much?” She pulled the boy out of her arms to better look at him and rested her hands on his shoulders. “You can do magic, yes; and you clearly have some rather incredible fighting abilities; and not to mention your commendable knowledge of fashion and aesthetic,” she smirked before continuing. “But you are still half human. You’re still <em>you</em>, love. None of this will ever change that.”</p><p>Something deep inside Marco’s chest sunk at her words. He had a feeling that what she said wasn’t entirely true. He knew that something inside of him was changing, or at the very least emerging. He just didn’t know what. The headache due to his proximity to the wand, meanwhile, throbbed to near deafening volumes inside his skull.</p><p>“I know this is a lot to take in,” Eclipsa quietly spoke. “So maybe just get some rest, okay? We can talk some more later on, if you’d like.”</p><p>“But, Eclipsa? What about the wand?” Marco asked in earnest. He saw a flash of discomfort in the queen’s eyes, but she quickly replaced it with a placating look.</p><p>“I’m afraid I don’t know what it’s appearance means, love. Nor why you can harness its powers as we queens do, since—whether human or mewman—you <em>are</em> male. Let’s worry about that another day, alright?”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s probably for the best,” he conceded tiredly. His headache, mixed with the constant current of magic and indecipherable whisperings flowing from the wand left him feeling utterly drained.</p><p>“Shall we?” The queen asked, standing up and reaching out a hand to Marco. Remembering his oddly comforting interaction with Hekapoo after his terrible nightmare, as well as the moment on Star’s balcony back on Earth just a few weeks prior, Marco felt like everyone had been having to pick him up and help him find his way back to reality as of late. He felt vulnerable and disassociated, and the magical object calling to him from his hand certainly wasn’t helping.</p><p>Marco let the queen guide him back to his room—he could barely remember the walk back as he struggled to break through the riotous utterings in his mind. Upon reaching his door, Marco felt the headache and the accompanying whispers begin to ebb as soon as he handed the wand back to the queen. The wand quickly morphed back into a violet umbrella, while a wave of relief and emotional exhaustion flooded Marco’s senses.</p><p>“Goodnight, Eclipsa. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank you enough for, you know, everything,” Marco humbly murmured into the cavernous hallway as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his signature red hoodie.</p><p>Eclipsa smiled and wrapped him in a tight hug one more time. “Goodnight, my sweet boy. Get some sleep, hm?”</p><p>Marco watched the queen turn away and disappear back down the dark hallway. He let out a long and rather harrowed exhale.</p><p>Free of the headache caused by the wand, Marco let himself relax in his bed as he replayed the information Eclipsa had given him. He was grateful to finally understand what caused his magical abilities, yet he knew it hardly answered why he, even as a partially mewman male, had access to the Butterflies’ magic. Eclipsa seemed only slightly startled when she saw how the wand had changed its form for him, however she clearly became downright appalled upon witnessing the signature Butterfly cheek marks appear on his face. He wished he had asked her about them in more detail, but he decided that the knowledge that he was of mewman descent would suffice for the time being.</p><p>Nevertheless, Marco still had more than a few questions to answer: for instance, why did his ancestor’s creepy ghost speak to him and tell him to go to the Blood Moon Ball? And why did Marco heed that advice without question? Why was the image of the crimson moon haunting him more and more to this day?</p><p>In addition to these issues, Marco couldn’t shake the feeling that the wand reacted to him differently than it did to its previous bearers. If the wand was meant to be a reflection of him, why did its appearance make him so uncomfortable? Did any of the other queens ever experience the wands whispering to them to the point of causing their very skulls to ache? Once again, Marco knew that something was wrong when a strong compulsion grew inside of him at the mere thought of holding the wand again: he wanted it back. Against his better judgement and despite the deafening headaches it caused him, he couldn’t deny the power the wand had over him. He wanted to feel the magic course through his veins once more, and the thought of it absolutely terrified him.</p><p><em>You came back to Mewni to figure all of this out, remember? You can do this, no matter how scary it gets,</em> he reassured himself.</p><p>For a brief moment before he succumbed to sleep, Marco thought that perhaps he should check on Star and see if she was home yet, but he decided against it. Marco had no idea how to tell her all of this information, and he still had so much more to uncover.</p>
<hr/><p>After parting ways with the distraught young man, Eclipsa had fully intended to return to her bedroom for a much-needed rest after the bustle—not to mention shock—of such a long day. The queen paused with her hand on the door’s brass handle; she could hear the soft snores of her beloved family from the other side, but she conceded that she would not be able to fall asleep any time soon. And so, Eclipsa took a nervous look around her before hurriedly tiptoeing back to her study.</p><p>The queen began pacing around nervously the moment the room’s candles ignited as she shut the door behind her. She simply couldn’t shake the image of the crescent moons on Marco’s cheeks from her head. She knew she had recognized them, but she simply did not want to believe her own eyes.</p><p>As a result of her trial with the Magic High Commission earlier that year, Eclipsa had looked into the Butterfly family history after the insertion of Festivia in her absence. She also admittedly became quite familiar with the latest chapters in the Book of Spells once she had stolen it from Star and had Glossaryck’s silkworms reconstruct it, all in the name of freeing her husband from Rhombulus’ crystal. From her readings, she remembered that through Festivia’s line came Queen Celena the Shy, whom Eclipsa had instantly taken a liking to.</p><p>The queen suddenly opened her umbrella-shaped wand and pointed it at the large black and silver coffee table that rested in front of the couch. The familial spellbook instantly manifested on the low table. She walked over and kneeled down on the floor beside it. After flipping through it for a short while, Eclipsa finally landed on Queen Celena’s chapter. Seeing Celena’s portrait, she let her fingers graze over the cheeks of the long-deceased queen, which featured two unmistakeable crescent moons. Eclipsa’s eyebrows knitted together in worry.</p><p>“I don’t understand,” she muttered to herself. “The pattern never repeats. So why would he have her cheek marks?” She wondered aloud to no one in particular.</p><p>What Eclipsa didn’t expect was to have someone respond.</p><p>“<em>Celena knows</em>,” groaned a low voice, its gruff drawl echoing throughout the room.</p><p>Eclipsa whipped her head around and grasped the handle of her lengthy wand with a grip like steel. Her eyes followed the sound to its source and the queen found herself staring into the eyes of the portrait that hung on the other side of the room.</p><p>“Captain?!” The queen exclaimed louder than she had intended to. She made sure to lower her voice before she continued. “What, do you feel bad speaking to your distant descendant and not your own daughter?” She asked teasingly. Eclipsa truly didn’t feel all that shocked: she knew better than to question the workings of magic. “Wait, what? ‘<em>Celena knows</em>’? Celena knows what? About Marco?”</p><p>Her questions were met with resounding silence.</p><p>“Well, after all this time that’s all I get?” She huffed. “Fine, let’s see what Celena knows.” Eclipsa knew that Celena’s chapter in the Book of Spells was not going to be of much use: she had flipped through the former queen’s chapter countless times since attaining the book once more, but its contents remained completely cryptic. Glancing down at the opening page of the chapter, Eclipsa sighed. She had once spent hours fruitlessly pondering over what Celena’s inscription could possibly mean:</p><p>
  <em>“What hides behind the golden fan the hand does sweetly hold? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>A trove of cosmic secrets that never will be told.” </em>
</p><p>Lighting up with an idea, Eclipsa suddenly shuffled in her kneeling position and gripped the table tightly before attempting to push the object aside. After much labor and little effect, the queen jumped up, grabbed her umbrella-shaped wand once again, and easily sent the table sliding away with a flash of violet light. She flinched when it bumped into a nearby shelf rather forcefully, sending a handful of books toppling to the ground.</p><p>“Whoopsies,” Eclipsa sang under her breath.</p><p>She raced back over to where the table once rested and proceeded to pry at the wooden floorboards below. She lifted a slightly worn board from its spot among the others to reveal a bundle of about ten deep purple scrolls. A few months prior, as she had been consulting the Butterfly spellbook in order to free Globgor from his crystalline imprisonment, Eclipsa became consumed by her want to know more about Celena’s ‘secrets never to be told.’ Since she was officially queen by that point (even if the rest of the High Commission didn’t trust her), Eclipsa had effortlessly entered the Bureaucracy of Magic and slipped into the Royal Archive one night. While inside, she found a hidden doorway inlaid in the ashlar wall at the back of the shelf where Celena’s scroll was located. After a bit of struggle, and nearly falling off the towering ladder more than a few times, Eclipsa finally pried the trick wall open and discovered a collection of scrolls inside. After tucking the deep purple scrolls into her dress and quickly setting the wall’s masonry back in its place, the queen receded to her study in the Monster Temple to study them.</p><p>Upon reading the first few, Eclipsa remembered being surprised that the Magic High Commission didn’t simply destroy the scrolls altogether: they contained firsthand documentation of Celena’s secret exploits in dark magic, including her cryptic musings and attempts to decode her mother, Rhina’s, prophecies. As interested as she had been in unravelling Queen Celena’s secrets, Eclipsa had never made it through more than a couple of the scrolls before Globgor was released on her coronation day, and life had been rather nonstop ever since.</p><p>Pulling the bundle of dark violet scrolls from the cleft in the floor, Eclipsa’s eyes caught sight of a particular scroll with a crimson ribbon tied around it. Her stomach dropped the moment she read the message etched onto a small tag that hung from the scroll:</p><p>
  <em>“For Eclipsa.” </em>
</p><p>“Oh!” The queen squeaked, dropping the object onto the floor in alarm. “Now that is just spooky, isn’t it?” She exclaimed in delight, knowing full well that Celena would have had to have mastered some very dark magic to be able to see into the future, especially with such accuracy. Or, if all else failed, she would have had to go to the Plains of Time and convince Father Time to give her access to a timeline well beyond her own, which was highly unlikely.</p><p>Eclipsa let out a nervous chuckle as she retrieved the still-bound scroll from the floor. “I knew there was a reason I liked you,” she said to the scroll, clearly addressing its maker. “Now, let’s see what kind of dark magic you’ve been getting into, Your Majesty.”</p><p>The queen ripped off the ribbon constricting the document and threw the string aside. She could tell from the stiffness of the parchment as she unravelled it that the scroll had indeed never been opened before. Eclipsa was positively glowing with excitement as its contents were revealed to her. Inside was a beautifully ornate image of a large, red crescent moon, and slightly to its right lay two miniature, circular symbols: one of the sun and the other a star.* The shapes were all outlined with shimmering gold. Eclipsa recognized that the words below it, written with the same iridescent ink, originated from Queen Rhina’s chapter in the spellbook:</p><p>
  <em>“Seven came before Rhina (if you subtract the boy). </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Add four more reigns to her domain and then what gets destroyed?” </em>
</p><p>The symbolic image above Rhina’s write-up, however, did little to further Eclipsa’s understanding: she already knew from the first few scrolls she had read a few months prior that Celena had devoted much of her time to this prophecy of Rhina’s in particular. What Eclipsa couldn’t fathom was why the former queen had left this illustrated copy of the prophecy for her to find.</p><p>“What does she know, Captain?” Eclipsa asked, tearing her gaze from the wine-dark page and glancing up towards her biological father’s image. “This hardly gives me anything to work with,” she shrugged.</p><p>A beat of silence passed.</p><p>“You know,” she continued. “If you’re going to go through the effort to finally pipe up after all this time, it would be nice if I didn’t have to do all the work. I mean, how hard is it t—"</p><p>“<em>The light of the moon,</em>” Alphonse’s image moaned, effectively cutting her off.</p><p>“Well, it’s not nice to interrupt people,” Eclipsa muttered, indignant but pleased by his interjection. “‘The light of the moon?’” she mused in confusion.</p><p>The queen turned back towards the scroll, which was splayed across the wooden floor, then up towards the room’s lone window. Through it, the opaline glow of Mewni’s moon poured into the room above her head. In lieu of a better idea, Eclipsa tentatively lifted the purple scroll and held it up to the moonlight. She could barely hold back the scream that threatened to escape her throat.</p><p>“<em>OH</em>!” Eclipsa exclaimed in fright as the moonlight suddenly deepened into a dark crimson red. Her hands shook while she watched its glow cause a perfect outline of Marco’s wand to appear on the page, seemingly emerging from the depths of the parchment. The scroll’s prior etchings faded into the background as the winged wand’s shimmering, golden image took over. Before Eclipsa could even catch her breath, a phrase suddenly appeared below the illustration. It too shone with a golden hue:</p><p>
  <em> “THE BOY WILL BRING DESTRUCTION” </em>
</p><p>“Marco?!” Eclipsa gasped, her voice hoarse from fear. “What is he going to do?!” She wondered in a hushed but panicked voice. <em>He mentioned that he could hear the wand speaking to him, and that he felt drawn to it…</em> she mentally recalled. She remembered the crescent moons that lit Marco’s cheeks while he wielded the wand, only appearing as he began to tap into its magic in his panicked, borderline delirium. <em>Celena did this to him, but how?</em></p><p>The realization hit her like a stampede.</p><p><em>It’s a curse</em>.</p><p>“No, no! This can’t be! He—He couldn’t,” She choked out as the cold chill of terror seeped into her bones.</p><p>As if to confirm her greatest fears, the golden etchings all over the scroll suddenly shimmered to life, almost like the liquids of the Magic itself. Under the light of the moon, the parchment suddenly began to turn from purple to bright red, while its contents’ golden hue slowly dimmed and faded into a sickly shade of green so dark it was nearly as black as night.</p><p>“W—Wait! No!” Eclipsa exclaimed desperately. The scroll itself proceeded to disintegrate in her very hands, its entire surface now being consumed by that same murky, lifeless green. Eclipsa finally let her hands fall to her sides as she watched the remnants of the now liquified scroll melt away and seep through the floorboards, before disappearing without a trace.</p><p>The moon reverted back to its usual silver incandescence, casting shadows down upon the kneeling queen. Eclipsa sat in silence for a moment, undoubtedly in shock. She wanted to deny what she had just seen, but she now understood what Celena’s curse and Rhina’s prophecy intended for Marco. A single tear rolled down the middle of the spade below her left eye.</p><p>“It’s the Magic,” she whispered in horror.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*The portrait of the sea captain (Alphonse the Worthy, Eclipsa’s father) speaks to Marco from its place on the wall in Star’s room back on Earth in S1E08, “Blood Moon Ball.” </p><p>*Jushtin: in Rhina’s prophecy, “If you subtract the boy” refers to Jushtin, the brother of Queen Solaria and uncle to Eclipsa. Now, since it seems that the signature Butterfly cheek marks (and perhaps magical abilities), as well as the right to rule was passed down between the women of the family, I am going to work off of the headcanon that Jushtin was most likely born in some way anatomically female or intersex, but his masculine gender identity prevented him from maintaining the throne once his sister Solaria was born. He is also referred to as “Jushtin the Boy Queen,” and in Skywynne’s chapter, she writes that her and Glossaryck do not agree on whether the child is a girl or a boy at birth, which certainly draws out that gender ambiguity.</p><p>*This is canon, and from the sixth chapter of Queen Skywynne’s entry in the Magic Book of Spells. She explains how to reverse a spell that deletes gravity after she caused a disaster that sent the inhabitants of Mewni floating into the sky. In the chapter, there are three phrases written in Low-Mewnian which read:<br/>“Sixteen mewmans were lost to space”<br/>“They ended up inhabiting another planet which is now a bustling world”<br/>“One day they will attack Mewni”</p><p>*I swear I read the story of Alphonse and Hekapoo’s mission to Earth somewhere, or perhaps even attained this from another fan’s theories, but I cannot for the life of me remember where. Whether I made it up or not, let’s just roll with it. If you know the source of this, please let me know in the comments! :)</p><p>*The image inside Celena’s scroll is from the mosaic on the floor of the ‘prophecy room’ in St. Olga’s from S1E10 “St. Olga’s Reform School for Wayward Princesses.” The scroll also includes Queen Rhina’s inscription from the published Book of Spells.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The War</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>The warm breeze streamed through Marco’s hair as he and Jackie soared along on her skateboard. His date held his clammy hands in hers as they rode through Echo Creek’s park on a summer evening which Marco recognized all too well: it was their first date.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Jostled by a slight bump in the asphalt, the pair found themselves suddenly wrapped up in each other’s arms to steady themselves.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” Jackie reassured him with a bright smile. He couldn’t help but return it with a smile of his own, albeit one far more anxious than hers.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Marco’s heart was pounding from the adrenaline and the close contact. He could feel the silken fabric of her seafoam green dress flap up against his fitted, light grey suit. Marco, however, was hardly able to enjoy her embrace for long before the teens were sent barreling towards the ground, having been launched off the skateboard by an unseen force which neither of them could explain.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Are you okay?!” Marco asked Jackie as he offered his hand to help her up.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah, I’m fine. I haven’t ate it like that in years,” she replied, clearly puzzled. She stood up and smiled warmly at him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>After a couple of beats, Marco looked down to find that his sweat-laden hand was still clasped in hers. He felt Jackie grip his hand tighter.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You know,” she mused. “I’m really glad that I asked you out.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Me too,” Marco admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The moment felt weightless. He allowed his eyes to flutter closed and leaned in towards his near life-long crush. The moment, however, was interrupted by a sudden intrusion. A single thought, or rather an urge, pervaded Marco’s mind:</em>
</p><p>
  <em><strong>Find Star</strong>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Before his lips had the chance to meet hers, Marco’s eyes drifted open and looked up involuntarily, only to be met with a vision of a bright crimson moon shining down on him. He couldn’t look away; the teen merely stared upward with wide eyes while the moon’s light sent another wave of the same urge cascading down towards him:</em>
</p><p>
  <em><strong>Find Star</strong>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He blinked once and the moon returned to normal.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He thought that Jackie had tried to say something to him, but he couldn’t focus. Without a word, Marco dashed over to his cellphone and lit up the screen. Even though the disembodied voice had ceased its chorus inside his head as soon as the moon returned to its usual hue, the sight of fifty-seven missed calls from his best friend only strengthened the urge to run to her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We have to find Star,” he choked out. He felt the bile of panic rise in his throat.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What? Is something wrong?” Jackie asked, clearly confused by his sudden shift in demeanour.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I don’t know,” he muttered absentmindedly while Jackie started to pick up her skateboard with some reluctance.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Come on, I know where to find her,” Marco ordered.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He grabbed his date’s hand and the two raced off into the night. After what only felt like a handful of seconds, the pair reached the entrance to Echo Creek’s graveyard.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“The graveyard?” Jackie asked in trepidation.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“This way, come on,” Marco impatiently barked in response before continuing his race into the night.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He briefly felt bad for treating Jackie so gruffly, but the sentiment was interrupted by the sight of two shadowed figures sprawled out on the ground ahead of him. Jackie’s hurried footsteps followed closely behind him as he raced through the rows of tombstones. He heard the girls before his eyes could adjust to the dark; huffs of exhausted panting and echoed towards him while he ran.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Star?!” Marco called into the darkness.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Marco?” A gravelly yet feminine voice called back to him. He recognized it as Janna’s.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Marco?!” Star echoed just as she entered Marco’s field of view. The boy vaguely noted Jackie’s form race ahead and crouch down to tend to Janna a few yards away. The remainder of his attention, however, was wholeheartedly absorbed by the image below him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Marco finally skidded to a stop and his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the moonlit graveyard. The shadowed, still-panting frame of his best friend struggled to lift herself into a seated position at his feet. He could tell she had been in some sort of fight: patches of dirt stained her clothes and seeped into her skin in a collection of faint bruises. They didn’t look like serious injuries, but the sight was alarming nonetheless. Star’s presence caused a sudden shift in the air as her relieved eyes found his.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You came…” said Star with a smile so bright it suited her name.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What happened to you two?” Jackie asked from Janna’s side.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Marco failed to hear Janna or Star respond to her question. His surroundings blurred and his thoughts slowed as his gaze lowered and fell upon the winged object which laid on the ground between him and Star. He felt his stance falter slightly as its customary cacophony of whispers thrummed painfully behind his eyes and back towards his spine. Marco would have sworn he was suspended in time, trapped by the indecipherable voices which beckoned him nearer.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Marco?” Star asked quietly. The sound of her voice momentarily recaptured his attention.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He followed her now slightly nervous gaze as it flickered back toward their friends, where Jackie had already hoisted Janna up and was supporting her weight so as to keep the brunette upright. Realizing that he should have been helping Star just the same, Marco turned back towards his best friend.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh! Here,” Marco uttered. He began to reach his hand out towards her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As soon as he did, however, the scene around him began to change. He watched helplessly as the pale moonlight which shone down on Star’s golden hair suddenly faded into a deep shade of red for the second time that night. As their hands slowly reached for the other’s, Marco became distracted once more by the object at his feet. The Blood Moon’s crimson glow refracted off of Star’s wand, right below where Marco’s hand was outstretched. This time, however, its thrall was too strong for him to ignore.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Marco felt his hand retract the moment Star’s fingers grazed his palm, and its trajectory suddenly headed down towards the object that rested in the soil below. He crouched down and found himself at eye level with the moonlight-drenched girl before him. He held her shocked stare and clutched the wand firmly in his hand. As though no longer in control of his own body, Marco stood up abruptly. He maintained eye contact with Star as the wand effortlessly transformed in his hand with a flash of light.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What are y—” Star began to say. Her voice was cut off by a sudden blast.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In one swift motion, Marco pivoted towards where Jackie and Janna stood, raised the wand, and wordlessly sent a blinding ray of dark green light sailing towards them. The force of the blow sent the two girls soaring backwards toward the opening of a freshly dug grave a few yards away. Star let out a cry as their friends were sent plunging out of sight.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The sound of the two girls crashing into the bottom of the grave rang through the quiet night air with a thump and a pair of grunts.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Marco?!” Jackie’s alarmed voice yelled from the hole in the ground. “What the heck was that for?!”</em>
</p><p><em>“Dude, </em>not <em>cool!” Janna groaned with similar disdain.</em></p><p>
  <em>“M-Marco?” Star stuttered in alarm and confusion. She began to slowly shift into a notably defensive crouching position, clearly straining against her injuries. “What’s going on?!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Star, get us out of here!” Jackie shouted in the distance.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I mean, I’m good either way,” called Janna contentedly from the depths of the open grave.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His friends’ stricken cries failed to permeate Marco’s current state. He took a moment to breathe a sigh of relief as the magic coursing through his veins finally freed him from the throes of pain which had plagued him mere moments prior. In fact, the ease with which he sent the girls soaring backward—even though he didn’t fully know why he did it—in addition to the powerful adrenaline kindling within him, made him feel stronger than ever before.</em>
</p><p><em>Marco’s newfound daring caused a kind of momentum to swell deep in his chest as he held Star’s gaze. Crimson shadows danced across her features as Marco drank her in. He realized that </em>this <em>was where he was meant to be tonight. He knew that the Blood Moon had made that clear to him when it prevented him from kissing Jackie earlier. And now, finally, the beacon of red light had allowed him to find his way back to Star. Marco didn’t want to question what he was doing; he just knew that he had to get closer to her. Everything about her felt inevitable.</em></p><p>
  <em>“Marco, give me back the—"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“—Wait. Just hold on,” Marco muttered as he crouched down to kneel before her. The alarmed look on Star’s face only intensified as he leaned his body closer to hers.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What are you doing?” She asked in a quiet voice. A surge of want ignited in Marco’s chest as her gaze briefly flickered down towards his lips.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Trust me,” he whispered. Marco watched her expression begin to soften; he then slowly started to close the distance between them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Star nodded once.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His lips crashed into hers without a moment of delay. The hand that wasn’t still grasping the wand reached out and encircled the back of her neck, drawing her even closer to him. As the desperate kiss deepened, he felt Star grab a hold of his tie while her other hand clutched at his chest. Yet Marco’s ecstasy was short-lived.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Star let out a shaking breath as she quickly pulled away from him. The pair carefully beheld one another’s slightly glazed eyes. Just as he was about to pull her close once more and resume their passionate kiss, Star’s eyes wandered down to his necktie entangled between her fingers.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Marco watched as her eyes widened and her face visibly paled.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What the…?” Star croaked in shock.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Marco’s confusion only grew as he studied Star’s actions. She let her other hand shakily run along the fabric of his suit jacket.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What is it?” Marco finally asked. She merely raised the tie up between them so that Marco could finally see the cause of her dismay.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His stomach dropped like a leaden weight as he took in the strip of fabric: what was previously a light blue necktie had been replaced with one as crimson as the moon above them. One glance over to his arm revealed that his light grey suit was now black.*</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His nightmares were becoming reality.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No,” Marco gasped and shook his head erratically.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He scurried back and tried to stand in vain. From his half-fallen position, Marco wearily raised the wand up towards his face and it emanated a dark green light.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Give me the wand, Marco,” Star pleaded, clearly concerned for him.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He was reeling. He knew that if he handed it over to her it would just keep assailing him with pounding headaches and deafening whispers. Something inside of him told him that wasn’t an option anymore. Instead of feeling panicked, however, a steely determination set over him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I can’t,” Marco retorted resolutely. His grip on the wand became so tight he could see his knuckles whitening.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Now!” Star commanded firmly, reaching her hand out towards him. Her eyes read ‘final warning.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The intensity of her gaze caused something to snap inside of him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Marco felt all control over himself slip away in an instant. Without fully realizing what he was doing, he stood and looked down at the girl below him. Marco suddenly found himself watching the scene from out-of-body, as though he were merely an uninvolved bystander. He watched as his form raised the wand and pointed it down toward the ground on which Star knelt. The wand sparked to life and illuminated the graveyard with a deep green light once more.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Marco could only watch from afar as a similar shade of green suddenly radiated out from behind his own eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Time to go, Princess,” Marco heard his own voice intone coolly.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A blast of green shot out from the wand and opened a portal below Star, which she immediately plummeted through. The sound of her piercing scream sent Marco barreling back into his own body. The realization of what he had just done, paired with how helpless he was to stop it tore through him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“NO! STAR, COME BACK!” Marco screamed into the bright green portal at his feet as it began to consume everything in sight, himself included.</em>
</p><p>Marco couldn’t hold back his sobs as soon as he was released from the nightmare. He felt as though the terror threatened to drown him. The fear and loss lingered so heavily within him that he found it hard to accept that he was awake. Marco’s greatest fears had momentarily come to life in his sleeping mind: not only had he fully lost control of himself, but he had hurt his closest friends in the process. He could barely stomach the memory of how he had manipulated Star into kissing him, only to watch her and the world around him be destroyed by his own doing.</p><p>The worst part was that the knowledge that he was now awake did nothing to lessen his fear. The dreams were becoming far too vivid for him to bear lately, and he still didn’t fully understand the meanings behind them.</p><p>Marco failed to notice his bedroom door slowly opening. It wasn’t until he felt a pair of arms wrap around his shaking shoulders that he finally realized Star had entered the room. Her presence did little to ease his sobbing. Guilt and dread flooded his senses as he wrapped his arms around his friend’s waist as if she were his lifeline.</p><p><em>How could I ever hurt her like that?</em>  Marco lamented internally.</p><p>“Hey, it’s okay,” Star whispered. He could feel her breath tickle the side of his neck. “You’re okay. It was just a bad dream.”</p><p>Marco took a few minutes to catch his hiccuping breath. As scared as he was for her and the secrets that had started to unravel around him as of late, Marco knew that he had to be strong for them both. Star didn’t need someone to protect her, but she did need him around as her friend. Tonight’s nightmare made one thing clear to him: he had to keep them safe from whatever was changing within him. He just didn’t know how.</p><p>“H-How did you know why… How did you know it was a dream?” Marco breathed shakily.</p><p>Star pulled away from him and shrugged.</p><p>“It happens. Sometimes you, uh, just start screaming in the middle of the night,” she muttered remorsefully.</p><p>“I’m sorry you’ve had to hear that,” Marco murmured.</p><p>He started to swipe at the tears streaming down his face. Star wiped away a stray one and gave him a worried smile.</p><p>“What’s going on?” She whispered.</p><p>Marco just shook his head. He couldn’t tell her, at least not while he was this distressed. <em>I wouldn’t even know where to begin</em>, he thought to himself.</p><p>“Okay, you don’t have to tell me. I just want you to know that… that you don’t have to pretend to be strong around me. I’m your best friend,” Star shrugged while shooting him a cheeky smirk. Marco couldn’t help but smile at the way she used his own words against him, the very ones he said to her back when they were preparing to fight Meteora.</p><p>“Thank you, really,” said Marco.</p><p>“Well, if you want a bit of a distraction, I have somewhere I need to be today. If you’re interested,” Star suggested, purposefully putting on a much lighter tone.</p><p>“Yeah? What’s going on?”</p><p>Star patted his leg reassuringly. “Buff Frog needs us,” she explained. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but Katrina’s texts made it sound like he might have some information on whatever danger Hekapoo was trying to keep you away from.”</p><p>“You’re kidding... Alright, yeah. I’m in,” Marco smiled gratefully. He could feel a sense of normalcy washing over him with the promise of a day spent trying to help the kingdom, despite the foreboding circumstances.</p><p>“We’ll head out as soon as you’re ready,” Star said. She bounded out the door. The feeling of dread receded into the background as Marco quickly slipped on his signature hoodie and prepared to follow Star.</p>
<hr/><p>“Hi, Buff Frog!” Star chimed as the door to a small, shack-like home swung open.</p><p>“Hello, Star Butterfly!” The burly monster bellowed back happily upon greeting the two teenagers at the door of a small house. “Wait… Star Butterfly?” He asked, clearly bewildered. “Katrina!”</p><p>“Yeah, Dad?” His daughter asked coyly as she happily bounded up to the door.</p><p>“Katrina, for last time, please stop telling Star Butterfly where we are hiding,” Buff Frog reprimanded his daughter in exasperation. “Just because we are back in Mewni does not mean we can let down guard.”</p><p>“Dad, <em>c’mon</em>. We all know that Star is the only one who can actually help us,” Katrina retorted knowingly, rolling her eyes. “Hey, Star!” She greeted.</p><p>“Katrina! Hi everyone! I brought Marco, too,” Star announced as she nodded over her shoulder to where Marco comfortably hovered a few feet behind her.</p><p>“Ah, Karate Boy, it has been too long,” Buff Frog said as he wrapped Marco in a tight hug, lifting the scrawny teen off the ground.</p><p>“<em>Hi… Buff… Frog</em>,” Marco wheezed.</p><p>“So,” Buff Frog began as he let the duo into his temporary home and closed the door behind them. “I fear something bad is brewing in Mewni.”</p><p>“What’s going on?” Star asked. “All we know is that the High Commission is, well, kinda out of commission. No one can find them.”</p><p>Buff Frog looked surprised by her statement.</p><p>“Your mother was spotted returning to mewman settlement through portal the other day, yet no one has been able to open one for weeks. The scissors do not work. I do not know what that means, but I do know that mewmans are preparing for something big.”</p><p>Star sighed. “Yeah, I figured Hekapoo cut off the portals here too. I can’t even get to Kelly’s dimension.”</p><p>“You can’t?” Marco balked. “B-But you went there last night, didn’t you?” Marco started to panic a little. <em>What if she had seen Eclipsa and I sneaking around? What if she had followed us?</em> He wasn’t ready to tell her about his newfound heritage and magical powers, especially before he fully understood them himself.</p><p>“No, I didn’t,” Star replied. Her voice took on the low cadence it usually did whenever she was trying to bravely steel herself. “It turns out that it wasn’t just Earth that’s been cut off, Marco. It’s everywhere. Hekapoo isn’t letting anyone into Mewni.”</p><p>“Or <em>out</em> of Mewni,” Buff Frog added solemnly.</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me?” Marco asked. Hurt tinged his voice. Suddenly, one of the Buff children proceeded to hurl a cornball towards Marco’s head. He barely ducked in time to avoid it. “Hey! I saw that!” The children erupted into a fit of giggles and raced off into another room.</p><p>“Children, please,” Buff Frog pleaded.</p><p>“What do you mean the mewmans are preparing for something, Buff Frog? Like, with the walls around the town?” Star asked, clearly ignoring Marco’s previous question.</p><p>“Is part of it, yes,” the father responded. “Walls like that are not only defensive. You must realize.”</p><p>Star groaned with her head in her hands. “I tried to ask Mom if she knew anything about what was happening when I visited her the other day, but she didn’t seem to want to talk much…” An air of suspicion crept into her voice.</p><p>“What if the walls really <em>are</em> just defensive?” Marco asked hopefully. “Maybe they’re afraid of Globgor and Eclipsa?”</p><p>“Maybe so, but we both know mewmans do not have anything to be afraid of nowadays. Monsters, on other hand, cannot be so trusting,” Buff Frog said gravely.</p><p>“I…” Star sighed, “I know. I just don’t get it. I’ve tried so hard, but nothing I do seems to help anyone. There’s still so much hate, and I—”</p><p>“Hey, we can do this,” Marco interjected. He touched her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. “I know it’s been hard for you now that you’re not the princess anymore, but I also know that you’ll never stop fighting to keep the people you love safe. Plus, we’ve handled way scarier stuff. Right?”</p><p>Even though he had been keeping his fair share of secrets from her as of late, and now she had been doing the same to him, apparently, Marco wasn’t going to let that get in the way of being there for Star. Despite the threat of hurting her—which his nightmares seemed to forebode—Marco knew he had to be brave and face his fears just like Star would.</p><p>“Thanks, Marco. You’re right,” said Star. She wrapped him in a brief hug and whispered, “Let’s talk later, okay?”</p><p>Marco merely nodded in response.</p><p>Star quickly pulled away and proceeded to rile the Buff children—who were once again sprinting around the trio—into a game of indoor cornball, which Buff Frog immediately made them take outside. Marco smiled to himself as he watched his best friend race out the door in a swarm of jovial little monsters.<em> She can’t help but try to make things better for everyone else around her…</em> His thoughts commended as pride and warmth filled his chest.</p><p>“I am sorry, Karate Boy,” Buff Frog sighed quietly as the two stood side by side in the doorway. “But I don’t think this is going to end well.”</p><p>The monster then walked over to a large couch on the other side of the room where heaps of both large and miniature tunics laid. He began to fold the clothes and place them into a large wooden basket on the floor. Marco’s smile fell and he let out a long breath as he followed Buff Frog towards the piles of clothing. No matter how stressed he was, Marco couldn’t help but clean when he was presented with a mess. The teen proceeded to pick up one of the smaller articles of clothing and fold it in tandem with the monster.</p><p>“Do you have any idea what Quee—I mean, <em>Moon</em>, could be up to?” Marco asked soberly.</p><p>“No,” Buff Frog replied. “But seems as though she works with Magic High Commission on something that we on outside of walls are not meant to know about. I fear for monsters.”</p><p>“Yeah, me too,” admitted Marco. “I’m sure Star is gonna want to confront her mom about this herself, so I promise we’ll let you know when we figure out what’s going on.”</p><p>“I give you great thanks,” Buff Frog replied genuinely.</p><p>There was a comfortable lull in the conversation as the two continued to fold and stack the family’s clothing. A few minutes later, Marco picked up a large green tunic and gave it a gentle shake to let some of the wrinkles fall loose. In doing so, he took note of the emblem etched onto the center of the garment. He recognized it as the uniform Buff Frog used to wear while working for Ludo.</p><p>“I definitely haven’t seen you wear this in awh—” Marco began.</p><p>Suddenly, he felt his chest start to constrict. The iconography, which Marco remembered also rested at the peak of Ludo’s old staff, was unmistakable: it was nearly the exact same shape of the wand whenever it transformed for him. Marco was frozen in place.</p><p>“Oh, that old thing. I do not know how it keeps getting mixed in with dirty clothes,” Buff Frog huffed.</p><p>Marco tried to stop his hands from shaking as he held up the tunic before him.</p><p>“Buff Frog… What is it?” He asked the monster.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Th-the symbol,” Marco explained breathlessly. He cleared his throat. “Why did Ludo use it?”</p><p>A flashback from when he was trapped in Toffee’s crystalline prison over a year ago suddenly darted into his mind. He remembered looking around Ludo’s castle and taking little note (at the time) of how the same symbol was plastered across an endless stream of tapestries encircling the grand dining hall.*</p><p>“Ah, yes,” Buff Frog nodded. “Ludo’s family, the Avariuses, had been using symbol for many generations. All the way back to their alliance with the Septarians.”* </p><p>“Septarians?” Marco asked.</p><p>“Yes, like Toffee. He is Septarian. The type of monsters that are indestructible… Well, until a Butterfly finds them, at least,” he explained with a small smile on his face. “You see, it was the symbol of the Septarian forces, but the Avariuses started using it when they formed an alliance to destroy mewmans and Butterfly family. This, of course, was all before Mewman/Monster Accord forced Toffee to ceasefire.* Do you not learn this in school, Karate Boy?”</p><p>“On Earth? Not quite…” Marco muttered. “I-I don’t even know if most mewman history books teach this stuff.”</p><p>He cringed at the memory of Star’s attempt to guide their friends through a re-enactment of Mewnipendence Day, what felt like a lifetime ago. Since then, they had learned of and witnessed so much of the realities of Mewni’s turbulent past and present.</p><p>“Of course,” Buff Frog replied disappointedly. “I do not think even Ludo knew of his family’s ties to Toffee when he first hired him. I guess because Seth was in command for much longer—”</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait… Who’s Seth?” Marco asked suddenly.</p><p>“Seth was the Septarians' general before Toffee.* Apparently, he died of unknown cause. Toffee took over shortly after, but he disbanded army after nearly being killed by Queen Moon.”</p><p>“So, this is…” Marco could barely bring himself to raise his voice over a whisper. “This is the symbol of Toffee’s army?”</p><p>“Yes,” the burly father confirmed.</p><p>Marco was overcome with a dizzying nausea as his mind raced. <em>My wand is connected to Toffee’s army somehow... How am I linked to Toffee?! Why is this happening?! </em>The contents of his nightmares were bleeding into his reality, and he feared that his sleeping mind and waking life were beginning to blur together beyond recognition.</p><p>“Is everything okay, Marco?” Buff Frog asked quietly as he reached out and took the garment from the boy’s hands. His use of his real name was enough to jolt Marco back to reality.</p><p>“What? Oh, uh, yeah. I just—”</p><p>Marco’s spluttering recovery was cut off by the sounds of a group of children and a teenage girl’s hollering as they entered the house. Star bounded towards the pair.</p><p>“Well, I think it’s time to get out of here. I’m gonna try to come up with something. I promise,” vowed Star.</p><p>“Of course. And please know that I will do what I can to help, but in the end, it is my children I must protect,” Buff Frog replied quietly.</p><p>“I know, Buff Frog. I totally get it. Thank you for letting me know about all of this,” Star turned towards Marco. “You coming?”</p><p>“Definitely,” he replied.</p><p>“Goodbye, Star Butterfly. Please be safe,” said Buff Frog as he scooped the small mewman into a hug once more and the Buff children swarmed around them.</p><p>“You guys, too,” Star replied with a small smile. She began to bid farewell to each child one by one.</p><p>Marco couldn’t stand how sad she sounded. He just wanted to take her in his arms and run back to Earth together, but he knew that there was no room for the luxuries of cowardice at a time like this.</p><p>He jumped a little at the feeling of a large hand resting on his shoulder.</p><p>“If you have more questions you let me know,” Buff Frog quietly said to Marco. “Do not waste time with those terrible mewman history books.”</p><p>“I... Uh, yeah. I promise,” he stammered. “And thanks, Buff Frog.” A heaviness fell over Marco’s chest; it was the same weight he felt as he said goodbye to his family back on Earth a few days prior.</p><p>He and Star wordlessly walked out of the house and turned to wave a final goodbye. Marco heard the slide and click of the latch as Buff Frog locked the door behind them. He paused for a moment to take in the home, while the light of its hearth emanated a comforting glow from the windowpanes, visible even through the slightly overcast daylight. He could hear the giggles and occasional shout from the contented family inside. Turning his back on its warmth, he let himself let out a ragged exhale. The silence of the forest comforted him.</p><p>In the blink of an eye, a ribbon of rainbow light wrapped around his midsection and dragged Marco towards his blonde companion.</p><p>“Hey!” He shouted in annoyance. Marco dug his feet into the ground to stop himself just before he ran straight into Star.</p><p>“Come on, we’ve gotta get back to the Monster Temple and talk to Eclipsa,” Star said impatiently.</p><p>She released Marco from the spell’s grasp as she summoned Cloudy and proceeded to jump onto the hovering entity. Marco followed suit. As they began to soar across Mewni’s multicoloured sky, Marco looked down at the mewman settlement off in the distance.</p><p>“Wait,” he asked while pointing his thumb over his shoulder towards the walled community. “Don’t you want to go and talk to your mom?”</p><p>“No. I don’t think that’s the best way to confront her,” Star sighed. “I think I might have an idea, though.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“I’m going to invite my parents over to the Monster Temple. Then we can all sit down and hash it out together, you know?”</p><p>“Uhhh I don’t know if that’s the best route to take…” Marco replied worriedly. “Won’t that be a little, you know, tense?”</p><p>“Oh yeah, <em>duuuh</em>,” Star replied in a sing-song voice.</p><p>“And didn’t you say that your mom was kind of weird around you when you went to see her the other day?”</p><p>“Yep. She <em>totally</em> gave me the cold shoulder. It was pretty clear that she didn’t want me there,” Star confirmed nonchalantly.</p><p>“<em>Soooo</em> your gut instinct is to just throw her into a room with Eclipsa and see what happens?” Marco asked, clearly skeptical of his friend’s haphazard plan.</p><p>“Look, I know that my mom still doesn’t trust Eclipsa. And that distrust and all the secrets and wall building and sneaking around are only going to get worse so long as mewmans and monsters keep separating themselves from one another. So, we have to try to get them to work things out. We just… We have to try, Marco.”</p><p>Star’s voice became quiet as she finished speaking, and Marco could hear how truly worn down she was by the strife between her family and Mewni’s citizens.</p><p>Marco sighed in resignation. “Yeah, that makes sense. A dinner it is, then,” he concluded. He began to mentally prepare himself for the awkwardness to come—if the ex-queen even agreed to attend, of course.</p><p>“And besides,” Star added in a far more chipper tone. “If all else fails we’ll just lock ‘em up in the magic-proof cell in the dungeon until they come to an agreement.”</p><p>“Huh?” Marco balked.</p><p>“Hm?” She replied, clearly feigning ignorance.</p><p>Marco gave her a cautioning stare and shook his head in disapproval, which Star merely responded to with a chuckle and by nudging her shoulder against his. The two spent the rest of the ride in thoughtful silence.</p><p>The next few hours, however, were far more tense. Star and Marco proceeded to join the royal family for dinner, during which Star proposed the idea of a formal gathering between the current royals and the leaders of the mewman settlement, her parents. It took a fair amount of convincing, since Eclipsa still had her reservations about attempting to sway the sympathies of Mewni’s mewman population, but the queen eventually agreed to host the dinner.</p><p>A letter was sent to Moon that very night, and the royal family, along with their teenaged guests, were shocked to receive a response so quickly: Moon and River had accepted the offer with no hesitation. The dinner was to be the following evening.</p><p>It was nearly midnight when the inhabitants of the Monster Temple finally ceased their preparations and headed off to sleep. After saying goodnight and trudging upstairs, Star and Marco paused in the hallway between their respective rooms.</p><p>“Well, goodnight, Star,” said Marco tiredly. He could feel the heaviness of exhaustion settling over his body.</p><p>“You, uh, gonna be okay tonight, Diaz?” Star asked earnestly. Marco was caught off guard by the sincerity in her eyes.</p><p>“Y-yeah, of course!” He responded in a voice that sounded a little too loud and high-pitched to his own ears. “They’re just dreams, right?”</p><p>“Are you gonna to tell me what happened?”</p><p>Marco paused for a long moment before responding.</p><p>“I hurt you,” he admitted quietly. His gaze lowered towards the floor in shame as his head shook from side to side.</p><p>“It wasn’t real. I know you would never hurt me on purpose,” said Star hopefully.</p><p>Marco, on the other hand, merely felt the dread which had been sitting benign in his chest all day start to build up once more. Before his mind could catch up with his actions, he found himself pulling Star into a tight hug. He let himself lose track of time as he held her firmly against him. A part of him hated how much he needed her touch sometimes.</p><p>His head nodded as it rested on her shoulder. “I promise. I promise I will do everything I can to make sure that I don’t,” he whispered in a low, determined voice.</p><p>“Marco?” Star asked in a tone laden with concern. Marco pulled away from the hug.</p><p>“Sorry. I just, uh, needed that. Thanks,” he muttered, a little ashamed that he let himself get so wrapped up in his own inner turmoil.</p><p>“Anytime, bestie,” Star said with a smile that warmed the dark, drafty hallway. “I’m right next door if you need me.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Star,” said Marco.</p><p>“Goodnight. And hey, you’d better get a good sleep in before the most awkward and stressful dinner ever!” Star quipped in mock excitement as she began to open her bedroom door.</p><p>“Can’t wait,” Marco retorted with a playfully sarcastic drawl. Star chuckled as she stepped into her bedroom and closed the door between them.</p><p>Marco felt the sunny warmth of her presence fade out of the hallway around him, and he was left alone once again. Despite how much he didn’t want to be alone at the moment, he knew that he needed to try to get some sleep, even if it meant succumbing to yet another tirade of foreboding nightmares. He swung open his door and walked into the dark room. The moment he closed the door behind him, the room lit up and he was met with completely foreign surroundings.</p><p>“What the heck?!” Marco squeaked in alarm.</p><p>His voice echoed through a large circular room. Lanterns and a star-shaped skylight illuminated the walls, which were lined from top to bottom with massive tapestries and mosaics of various playing card suits. Apart from the mystery of how he got there, something about the state of the room set him on edge. The entire entryway and even some parts of the walls were beginning to crumble—it looked like the place had been abandoned.</p><p>“Star?” He called into the richly decorated chamber. “Hello?” The sound of his voice echoing through the eerie room and the halls beyond it made him realize his error. <em>Nice one, Diaz. If something dangerous is in here, it’s definitely gonna find you now…</em> He silently reprimanded himself.</p><p>Marco spun around on the spot and assessed the area for any sign of a threat. “What is this place?” He whispered at a far safer volume to no one in particular.</p><p>“I believe Star calls it the ‘Grandma Room,’” a smooth, masculine voice pronounced in response.</p><p>“<em>AHHHHH!</em>” Marco screamed. He whipped around to find Glossaryck’s familiar form hovering a few paces away. “Glossaryck?! What the <em>heck</em>, dude?!” He hissed as he tried to catch his breath.</p><p>“Shhh, kid, jeez. You could deafen an invisible goat with that screech,” Glossaryck replied with a grimace. He proceeded to stick a finger into one of his ears in a grotesque attempt to clear it.</p><p>“Ugggghhh I do <em>not</em> need this right now,” Marco groaned in frustration. “What is this place?” He surprised himself by asking. His curiosity had clearly gotten the better of his annoyance.</p><p>“I told you,” the magical being replied with a shrug while still fishing through his ear. “The Grandma Room. Hence all the, you know, grandmas,” he said as his free hand flippantly gestured to the walls surrounding them.</p><p>“Wait, are we in Butterfly Castle?” Marco asked in confusion as he continued to take in his decrepit surroundings. “Creepy,” he added with a shiver.</p><p>The castle had been deserted for nearly half a year now, and Marco had even heard rumors of ghost spottings since. He couldn’t say he was all that surprised, though, since he hardly considered ghosts to be much of a concern compared to what else he had seen magic do. He was, however, taken aback by how tattered the place looked in such a short amount of time.</p><p>“No kidding,” Glossaryck replied with a huff. “There is a <em>very</em> aggressive crow in here that will stop at nothing for a bag of chips.”</p><p>“And <em>why</em> exactly am I in the ‘Grandma Room?’” Marco asked with a decidedly deadpan expression. He used air quotes as he spoke of Star’s nickname for the eerie space.</p><p>“Well, I figured you would want to be somewhere private when I gave you this,” Glossaryck retorted indifferently as an object manifested by his side in the blink of an eye.</p><p>It was Eclipsa’s wand.</p><p>Marco audibly gasped and took a staggering step away from the floating object. “No, you did <em>not</em> steal that from Eclipsa… <em>Did</em> you steal that from Eclipsa?! Why would you bring it to me? Are you insane?!”</p><p>“I thought you might want to try it out again,” the magical being suggested with a shrug.</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait, wait… What? You know that I can do magic?” Marco asked, completely dumbfounded.</p><p>“I’ve watched you use it before, haven’t I?” Glossaryck asked in response. To elucidate his point, the wand hovering beside him suddenly transformed into the shape it took on whenever Marco wielded it. It returned to its purple, umbrella-like appearance a few beats later as if nothing had happened.</p><p>Marco shook his head in confusion before he realized what Star’s former teacher was alluding to: he had forgotten that Glossaryck was present the first time Marco used the wand almost a year ago. This revelation left him with far more questions than it answered.</p><p>“Why?” Marco asked as he tried to curb the anger swelling within in. “Why are you doing this? And why <em>now</em>?”</p><p>“I heard that you’ve been looking for answers. You <em>do</em> want answers, don’t you?”</p><p>“You’ve been spying on me?” Marco asked acerbically.</p><p>“<em>Please</em>,” Glossaryck retorted with a cavalier eyeroll. “I can recognize a mewman when I see one. Especially one with such adorable little Butterfly cheek marks,” he chided as he floated past Marco and pinched his cheeks mockingly. </p><p>As soon as Glossaryck touched him, Marco could feel the crescent moons burn into his cheeks for a brief moment before their light faded away. He was seething with rage and hurt.</p><p>“So you knew I wasn’t fully human all along. Did you know the wand would start calling for me, too? Why wouldn’t you say something?!” Marco asked in a raised voice. Anger and confusion and betrayal coursed through him.</p><p>“Do you want me to apologize?” Glossaryck inquired coolly from his cross-legged position.</p><p>Marco let out something between a groan and a sigh. “Just take me back to the Monster Temple. And give the wand back to Eclipsa before she notices it’s gone,” he gruffly commanded through clenched teeth. “I’ve had enough of whatever game you’re trying to play.”</p><p>“C’mon, Marco. Isn’t it time you found out the truth?” Glossaryck pressed.</p><p>The wand began to slowly approach Marco in mid air. The reverberations in Marco’s skull returned and worsened with each second that passed as it drifted towards him. He was torn between two conflicting urges: one told him to run as far away from the wand as he could, and the other wanted more than anything to decipher its bewitching whispers.</p><p>“Why are you helping me? What’s in it for you?” The teen asked with venom in his voice.</p><p>Before Marco was given a response, however, the sound of a bird shrieking suddenly began to echo throughout the castle’s chambers.</p><p>“Looks like our alone time is up,” Glossaryck groaned, although Marco could detect a faint note of alarm in his voice. “That crow is relentless!” He lamented.</p><p>“We need to go. Take it,” Glossaryck commanded as he sent the wand flying even closer towards Marco.</p><p>“I won't touch it,” Marco spat back. Flashes from his nightmares flooded his mind: images of himself in what could only be Toffee’s clothing, wielding the wand and hurting the people he loved without hesitation.</p><p>“But you want to?”</p><p>Marco could barely hear past the thundering whispers that were bombarding his mind.</p><p>“It wants me to. A-at least I think that’s what it’s trying to tell me,” Marco stuttered. He couldn’t help the shiver of adrenaline that crept up his spine as the wand loomed nearer. He felt as though his head was going to implode from the pressure.</p><p>“Why don’t we go inside and take a look?” Said Glossaryck with an air of enticement.</p><p>“I can do that?”</p><p>“Sure. Just dip down,” suggested Glossaryck nonchalantly.</p><p>“What the heck does that—?” Marco's confusion was halted by a memory of him locked in Star’s closet, striving to read what was later revealed to be her personal diary. “That's what she said before the door opened,” he quietly wondered aloud, conscious of the way his voice carried throughout the desolate halls. “It's how she can use magic without her wand, right?”</p><p>“Perceptive,” Glossaryck smiled half-heartedly.</p><p>Marco rolled his eyes. He then locked his gaze on the wand.</p><p>“So I just ‘dip down’ and then I’m inside of it? And doing this... How is this going to give me answers?”</p><p>The magical entity merely shrugged in response.</p><p>“Right, of course you won't <em>actually</em> help me,” Marco muttered sardonically.</p><p>The crow’s shriek returned, albeit far louder than the first time. To make matters worse, Marco could distinctly hear a group of voices clamoring along with it, all of whom were heading his way.</p><p>“You might want to make it quick, kid. I don’t think we’re supposed to be here,” Glossaryck warned with alarm creeping into his voice once more.</p><p>“I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do!” Marco hissed. He could feel his fight-or-flight response starting to kick in as he felt his body tense in preparation for whatever came next.</p><p>“Ugh, Marco, it's simple,” groaned Glossaryck. Marco shot him an unimpressed glare. “Just feel how badly you want it, search deep within yourself and what-not, and <em>dip down</em>,” he enunciated before sinking into the umbrella-shaped wand and out of sight.</p><p>“Wait! <em>Glossaryck</em>!” Marco seethed frantically. He held his head in his hands and groaned in panic, praying that the approaching voices hadn’t heard him.</p><p><em>This isn't going to work... but I have to try. I need to figure out how to stop this. </em> </p><p>Marco felt all of his fear and pent-up frustration rise to the surface as he replayed Glossaryck’s instructions in his head.</p><p>“Fine, we'll do it your way,” he quietly muttered to himself. “I just have to want it, right? How hard could it be?” Marco asked the universe bitterly.</p><p>He took hold of the wand and flinched at the contact, but—just like in his most recent nightmare—he firmly held his stance as it began to change from the shape of an elegant umbrella into what Marco now knew what the winged symbol of the Septarian-Avarius allied forces. He shuddered in dread but remained mostly still while the wand effortlessly transformed in his hand.</p><p>He fought to quiet the throbbing headache as he began to attempt magic once more.</p><p>
  <em>I want...</em>
</p><p>Images of his best friend flashed before Marco’s eyes. He thought of her warm laugh and intoxicating smile; the way she confidently shouted the names of her spells during battle; how good of a team they were; the days they spent adventuring and the nights they stayed up doing nothing at all; how soft her lips felt on his when he kissed her, just the one time in the photobooth. He saw the smiling faces of their friends and families.</p><p><em>I want to keep them safe. I </em>have<em> to. I have to fight this, whatever it is.</em></p><p>A rush of wind warmed the room and made his hair stand on end. He could feel his cheeks burning with white hot light.</p><p>
  <em>I want to keep her safe...</em>
</p><p>Marco heard a soft whisper that sounded like Star’s voice calling his name, and then everything went black.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*Ever notice how the Blood Moon only ever shows up when Marco is in a suit? It’s either his grey one, the Dias de los Muertos suit, or his white, rather princely one.</p><p>*You can see the iconography of Buff Frog's shirt/ Marco's wand in the background in S1 E13 “Storm the Castle."</p><p>*Toffee took over Ludo's castle in violation of the Avarius-Septarsis Treaty, which is known from “Star and Marco’s Guide to Mastering Every Dimension" (see next note).</p><p>*I am basing this information, especially the Mewman/Monster Accord, and the connection between the Avarius family and the Septarians, on Toffee’s “WANTED” poster in “Star and Marco’s Guide to Mastering Every Dimension.”</p><p>*Seth, according to the published “Magic Book of Spells”, was an extremist leader of a faction of Septarians bent on killing mewmans in general, but specifically Comet Butterfly (Moon’s mother), which is most likely why Toffee succeeded in killing her. Daron Nefcy confirmed that Seth had died prior to the events of the series, according to this reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/StarVStheForcesofEvil/comments/cll9u5/star_vs_the_forces_of_evil_ask_me_anything/evwaqun/?context=8&amp;depth=9 , but I certainly took my liberties with all of this information (i.e. the circumstances of his death). 😊 </p><p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Celena and Toffee</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ever wonder why Toffee looks up at the moon/Butterfly Castle and says “Yes, well, you’re not the first one to fall victim to their magic” at the end of S1E08 “Fortune Cookies,” when his character is first introduced? Was he merely referring to Queen Moon removing his finger, or was he thinking about another Butterfly? We’re about to find out! Well, my version of the story, anyway...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marco opened his eyes to find that none of his surroundings had changed: the same tapestries of Star’s royal predecessors still encircled him.</p><p>“Glossaryck?” He called out, spinning around in a circle on the spot. “What’s going on? We… we didn’t go anywhere.”</p><p>“Well, not quite. You’re still in the Grandma Room, yes,” he explained in a rather bored tone. “But we’re now in your memory of the room inside the wand.”</p><p>“Oh. <em>What</em><em>?!</em>” Marco exclaimed in confusion. He inspected both of his hands and realized that he was no longer holding the wand. In fact, it had disappeared from his sight altogether. Yet he could still hear the wand’s whispering call. “Why can I still hear it?” Marco murmured to himself.</p><p>“Dark magic calls to you, Marco. I thought you already knew that.”</p><p>Marco blinked once, then twice.</p><p>“No, I did <em>not</em> know that, thanks,” he snapped back. “What are you even talking about?!”</p><p>“Ugh, you know…” Glossaryck continued to explain begrudgingly. “Like when Eclipsa’s chapter in the Book of Spells possessed you the first time you read it? The way Star’s ‘Monster Arm’ spell affected you? The Blood Moon? Am I ringing any bells here?”<strong>*</strong></p><p>“That’s all dark magic? And it only affects me? Is that why none of that stuff messes with Star?” The teen asked nervously.</p><p>Glossaryck had started shaving his legs in mid-air, clearly making an effort to ignore Marco.</p><p>“Wait,” Marco continued, mostly to himself at this point. “Eclipsa specialized in dark magic.” He began to drift over to Eclipsa’s tapestry and he took in the rather uncharacteristically intimidating image. “Eclipsa isn’t a bad person. So using or being drawn to dark magic doesn’t have to mean anything <em>bad</em> then, right?” Anxiety threatened to close up his throat as yet another wave of revelatory truths washed over Marco. He could barely keep up with how much he had learnt about himself in the past few weeks.</p><p>“Sure,” Glossaryck murmured, still engrossed by his task.</p><p>“And now Eclipsa's wand is gone,” Marco suddenly remembered. “Oh no, is it still back in Butterfly Castle? What if whoever those people were found it?! We have to go back and—"</p><p>“Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa!” Glossaryck interjected. “Look, the wand is safe, we’re safe, and I’m getting bored of answering all of your questions. So, since we have the place to ourselves—until the rest of you start to show up, at least…”<strong>*</strong></p><p>“<em>What?!</em>” Marco screeched.</p><p>Glossaryck let out a long sigh. “Just take a look around, Marco. Maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for.”</p><p>“You are phenomenally unhelpful. You know that, right?” Marco stated flatly. He decided that it would be a waste of time to try and pry any further information out of Glossaryck, so he followed the magical being’s instructions and started to walk around the room. He began by approaching the tapestries which were most familiar to him. He took a moment to smile fondly at Eclipsa’s portrait; then he moved on to Moon’s, from which he quickly averted his gaze—the image of Toffee sent chills down his spine. He continued his circle in the opposite direction, moving as far as he could from it. He then came across a tapestry that was still in the process of being woven, but near to completion: it was Star’s. Marco’s heart warmed at the sight of her valiant stance in the center of the portrait, surrounded by her parents, Globgor and Eclipsa, and the rejoicing faces of many members of Mewni’s monster population. And, of course, just slightly behind her was Marco himself. His image stood by her side and looked at her with a proud expression on his face, with his hands casually stuffed into the pockets of his signature red hoodie. Marco’s chest swelled with relief, not to mention a feeling so much deeper than that.</p><p><em>No matter what happens, we are going to get through this together</em>, he reminded himself. He felt genuinely hopeful. Marco always did his best to choose optimism.</p><p>He took a deep, relieved breath and continued his circle around the room. Naturally, there were many faces he didn’t recognize. He came across one for a queen named Jushtin, whom he remembered Eclipsa had mentioned to him a couple of nights ago. A grimace soured Marco's expression upon reading the nickname of ‘un-queen’ bestowed upon Jushtin, which was engraved on the stone placard that had risen from the floor and nearly knocked him off his feet when he had stepped on it:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“He was just a boy</em>
</p><p>
  <em>but he could dream</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So goes the sad tale </em>
</p><p>
  <em>of Jushtin the un-queen.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>He then moved toward the tapestry of Dirhhennia, a rather young and disheveled-looking queen, whose write-up read:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“For some the troubles come in doubles,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>in sadness greatly steeped.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And drawing balls upon the walls</em>
</p><p>
  <em>is Dirhhennia the Heaped.”</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Oof,” Marco muttered under his breath. “I wonder what her deal was.” He continued past a few more tapestries before he took pause at a queen named Rhina’s. Her large red hair and quizzical smile brought a similar expression to Marco’s face. He took a moment to read the inscription below her portrait:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Seven came before Rhina</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(if you subtract the boy),</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Add four more reigns to her domain</em>
</p><p>
  <em>and then what gets destroyed?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“‘The boy’?” Marco mused. He then looked back at Jushtin’s portrait. Marco found it unnerving that the inscription had virtually nothing to do with the queen herself, and instead seemed to forebode something well after her lifetime. He shuddered. “Well <em>that</em> isn’t ominous at all,” he said sarcastically, before moving on once again.</p><p>He came to a slow in front of the next portrait in the ring. He was greeted by the sideways glance of a queen with long, elegant, lilac hair, whose face was partially concealed by a wand in the shape of a fan. “Celena the Shy,” he read aloud.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“What hides behind the golden fan</em>
</p><p>
  <em>the hand does sweetly hold?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A trove of cosmic secrets</em>
</p><p>
  <em>that never will be told.”<strong>*</strong></em>
</p><p> </p><p>“What’s up with these cryptic messages?” Marco wondered in exasperation, glancing back towards Rhina's inscription. He returned his suspicious gaze to the tapestry before him. “Alright, Celena. What kind of secrets could you possibly have hiding behind that little fan?” He asked skeptically. His curiosity and slight enjoyment at the prospecting of sleuthing for clues got the better of him, and Marco hopped up onto the cylindrical inscription, leaning towards the tapestry until his face was nearly pressed up against it. He studied all its details: the train of villagers heading up the stairs towards the queen’s closed door, the tiny Glossaryck floating by her side in a meditative position—which he glared at when it suddenly animated and stuck its tongue out at him—and the giant crescent moon and star emblems that dotted the sky above the scene, until his gaze finally landed on the timid queen herself.</p><p>Little of the queen’s face could be seen past the fan-shaped wand, the hood of her dark purple cloak, and the swoop of pinkish-purple bangs which draped over one of her eyes. From what he actually <em>could</em> see of Celena, Marco noted that her wide gaze and striking complexion were captivating, but perhaps that owed in part to the promise of her secret. He stared intently at her one visible eye, which was glancing at the now motionless image of Glossaryck floating beside her head. Suddenly, Celena’s eye moved and looked directly at Marco.</p><p>“<em>OAHHH!</em>” Marco screeched. The sudden movement nearly knocked him off balance, and he struggled to regain his position on the raised inscription. “What the—?”</p><p>His voice halted in his throat as the queen’s gaze shifted again. It flicked down to the fan-shaped wand in her hands. Marco’s wide eyes followed hers. His heart was hammering in his chest as he leaned in even closer and squinted at the fan. The longer he looked, the more he noticed the shadowed outline of the rest of the wand behind its fan-like exterior. He could vaguely make out a circle with a thin diamond shape at its center. In fact, he realized that the diamond-shaped crystal was beginning to emit a dark red glow. As it did, two of the crescent moons that decorated the fan also started to glow. Their light only grew stronger, and Marco could feel a magical wave of heat on his face as they seemed to almost burn through the fan.</p><p>Marco finally realized what the fan had been concealing: the two blood red crescent moons were exactly where the queen’s cheek marks should be.</p><p>“W-what’s happening?” Marco’s voice quivered. “Are those my…?” The sentence died on his tongue. He could feel his own cheeks burning, and he reached up a hand to tenderly touch his face.</p><p>“Look a<em> liiittle</em> closer,” Glossaryck’s smooth voice intoned from behind the boy.</p><p>Marco couldn’t tear his gaze away from the tapestry even if he tried. Queen Celena’s gaze flickered back towards the door to her left, and Marco’s eyes followed hers once more. The teen let out a choked gasp while he watched the rest of the tapestry seem to come to life as a scene unfolded before him. Silently, the townsfolk each began to approach the queen’s door one at a time, but their knocks were left unanswered. Marco watched as one by one they left their gifts at the top of the stairs and made their exit, whispering giddily amongst themselves.</p><p>Marco could barely believe what he was seeing, but he didn’t dare look away. He placed his hands on each side of the tapestry and leaned in so close that his nose nearly brushed up against it. He marveled at the vividness of the magically moving images, and he watched intently as the last Mewnian left the corridor. Now that he was so close, Marco swore that he could almost make out their whispers as they left the tapestry’s surface. He pressed his ear up against it and waited.</p><p>Marco let out a scream as he felt someone shove him from behind, causing him to go barreling into the depths of the tapestry.</p><p>He landed on the cold stone floor with a painful thud. “Wait! W-what happened?! Glossaryck?!” Marco whisper-shouted into the empty hallway. He took in his surroundings and found himself standing at the bottom of the very staircase he had just been examining, all alone. Now, however, the scene before him was clearly three dimensional, and Marco was a part of it. The teen spun to his right and tried to locate whence he came, where he knew that the tapestry ended and the Grandma Room inside the wand began, but he was merely met with a stone wall, just like any other in Butterfly Castle.</p><p>“Queen Celena!” Someone shouted from behind him. Marco barely got out of the way in time before a mewman came darting past him and up the staircase.</p><p>“Hey, watch it!” Marco called after him in a huff. Unsure of what else to do at the moment, Marco hurried up the stairs in pursuit.</p><p>The stout, red-haired mewman was knocking frantically at a large door at the top of the stairs. “H-he’s here, Your Majesty!” the nervous servant called.</p><p>“Who, me?” Marco asked as he approached the mewman, who continued speaking as if he hadn’t heard him at all.</p><p>“It’s the Sergeant you asked for,” the servant added in a slightly quieter, more fearful tone.</p><p>“Thank you, Ivan. Please open the door and send him in,” a faint, honey-like voice spilled from behind the door. The servant obeyed, opened the queen's door, and turned to descend the stairs once more.</p><p>Marco stepped into his path. “Excuse me, sorry to—<em>OAHHH!"</em>  Marco screamed as the servant wordlessly ran straight through him as if Marco were merely air. The teen gasped and clutched at his chest, which was beginning to reform into its usual shape, kind of like a cloud. <em>Wait, that guy didn’t hear or see me at all... Am I a ghost?! </em></p><p>“Glossaryck, if I’m dead, I swear…” Marco muttered through gasping breaths. He turned away from the servant’s retreating form and toward the open door before him. He took an unsure step into the room.</p><p>Marco saw the queen seated at a circular table in the middle of the massive bedchamber, her signature fan concealing most of her face from view. He took note of how, now in three dimensions, the queen’s room was far larger and more ornate than the tapestry had depicted. In fact, the room was massive.</p><p>“Queen Celena? Uhm, can you hear me…?” He asked the royal tentatively. After a beat of silence, he tried waving his hands around to get her attention. “Hello? Nothing?”</p><p>The lilac-haired woman merely turned in the opposite direction of Marco, raised her free hand, and sent a purple beam of magical light across the room and towards a crystal ball which sat on a shelf, summoning it towards her. The object landed on the table effortlessly, and the queen began to peer into it without a word.</p><p>Marco let out a deflated sigh. “Okay, I know you’re shy and all, so I still can’t really tell if you actually can’t hear me or if you’re just ignor—"</p><p>All of a sudden, Marco heard the slow approach of footsteps from the hallway. He stepped to the side to let a towering figure enter the room. A tall, reptilian monster stepped through the doorway with an unmistakable air of cool confidence. He wore a red, militaristic jacket with tall spikes on its shoulders, and his long, shaggy black hair was tied back into a loose ponytail, while a couple of shorter pieces hung free, framing his face and contrasting with his piercing yellow eyes.<strong>*</strong> Marco slapped his hands over his mouth to keep from screaming. He hadn’t recognized him at first glance, but the way the Septarian held himself—with his chest high and his hands formally clasped behind his back—was enough to give his identity away: it was Toffee.</p><p>“Thank you for coming, General,” Celena greeted the monster in a calm voice that was barely louder than a whisper. “Please, have a seat.” She gestured towards the opposite end of the table invitingly, but the Septarian blatantly ignored the offer and remained standing in the middle of the room.</p><p>“It’s Sergeant, actually. For now, at least. And you should be grateful that the General didn’t decide to come. They say I’m the diplomatic one,” the monster boasted, but the fierceness in his gaze hardly revealed any semblance of diplomacy, despite his propriety.</p><p>“A diplomat, you say? Like a lawyer?” Celena quipped. Marco could see a glint of amusement in her eye. <em>Ha, good one</em>, he chuckled to himself.</p><p>“N-no, not like a lawyer,” Toffee spluttered angrily. “Anyway,” he grumbled. “Seth would have just annihilated you if he were here.” Marco was thrown off by how much higher Toffee's voice sounded.</p><p>“I’m sure he would have, yes,” the queen replied, clearly unphased.</p><p>“So give me one good reason why I shouldn’t do the same.”</p><p>“Well, Sergeant Toffee, lawyer or not, you and I both know that you’re the only thing holding Seth’s army together,” Celena noted from behind her fan.</p><p>Toffee stood silently, his gaze narrowed and guarded.</p><p>“I’ve been watching you assemble and train your rather haphazard army,” Celena continued. “It's clear that Seth lacks the ability to lead them, but you… <em>You’re</em> the one with the drive.” Marco could see a slight trace of arrogance light up Toffee’s usually impassive face.</p><p>The teen found the queen’s hushed, soothing voice to be mesmerizing. She may have been soft-spoken, but she was also articulate and incredibly deliberate in her speech. He could tell that she was a natural born leader, despite her external reservations. Something in the tone of her voice and the determined look in her eye assured Marco that she was in full control of the situation, even while alone in a room with their mutual, murderous enemy.</p><p>Celena’s gaze narrowed almost undetectably. “It’s a shame you’ll all be dead by tomorrow evening. If you choose to fight, that is.”</p><p>“Really, now?” Toffee asked condescendingly. “And did your little magic cards tell you this?”<strong>*</strong></p><p>“Yes, and I saw it with my own eyes,” Celena replied.</p><p>“Well, I never took you for the threatening type,” Toffee noted coolly. He kept his hands neatly clasped behind his back, never once letting his stance falter. “I’ve heard that you usually get your way around monsters, but I’m afraid whatever power you think you have over us won’t have much of an effect on me. You Butterflies may have magic, but we are indestructible.”<strong>*</strong></p><p>The queen stayed silent.</p><p>Suddenly, the crystal ball which sat in the middle of the table between the two came to life. Footage of pure carnage filled its rounded, glowing surface: charred and maimed bodies of countless Septarians were scattered across a battlefield, while the sound of what Marco presumed were mewmans celebrating echoed throughout the room. After about a minute, the crystal ball went dark once more, and Toffee was left staring at his own, wide-eyed reflection. He quickly regained his composure and leveled his gaze on the queen seated before him.</p><p>“This is your future. Unless, of course, you do as I say,” said Celena with a voice both soft and sharp all at once.</p><p>After a few beats of tense silence, Celena’s crystal ball lit up once more, and it displayed a scene from the past: Toffee seemed to be training a group of Septarian soldiers. Marco’s jaw dropped in shock as he watched Glossaryck—whom Toffee was clearly familiar enough with to have injured him prior—and an infant Meteora arrive. He watched with shocked and confused delight as the crystal showed Toffee quickly recover from Meteora’s attack and scurry away.<strong>*</strong> Celena’s threat was apparent: Toffee and the other Septarians were not as indestructible as they thought they were.</p><p>“You saw what that Butterfly child could do. And she didn’t even know <em>dark</em> magic, like I do.” The queen reached for the stack of dark purple tarot cards which rested on the table. Without removing her gaze from Toffee's, she magically shuffled the cards in the air and flipped the topmost card over, sliding it towards the lizard standing before her. The card showed a shadowy, hooded figure: Death. Toffee’s arms fell to his sides and he took one almost imperceptible step back. Marco’s brow quirked.<em> Coward</em>.</p><p>“You want us gone,” Celena explained simply. “And I can give you what you want, but it will take time,” the queen continued. She proceeded to flip over four more cards. Instead of the celestial characters of usual tarot cards, they each contained an ornate image of a playing card suit: a diamond, a spade, a clover, and a heart, respectively.* “In the meantime, you must stand down.”</p><p>“<em>Excuse</em> me?!” Toffee bellowed. Marco was shocked to see Toffee be so expressive. His short temper, high-pitched voice, and outspokenness were unnerving, to say the least. Toffee was still undoubtedly proud and determined, but he hardly came across as sinister. <em>He seems so… young, </em>Marco thought.</p><p>“Fate has already decided that what you seek will come to pass, but not yet. Not until the final queen of Mewni reigns,” Celena explained.</p><p>“Really? Because I’ve already decided that <em>you</em> will be the last of the Butterflies,” Toffee growled. He took a menacing step towards the still-seated queen. Marco felt his own stance stiffen.</p><p>“No, not quite,” the queen responded quietly. “As I was saying, it is not under <em>my</em> reign that the Magic will be destroyed.”</p><p>“<em>Destroyed?</em>  That's possible?” Toffee blinked, clearly intrigued.</p><p>“My mother predicted it. Everyone thought that she merely spoke nonsensical riddles, but sure enough, each and every one of them started to come true. But what you seek will not occur until after three more reigns, when Queen Moon bears a child—”</p><p>“Right, of course,” Toffee interjected. He nodded at the fan that concealed much of her face. “I can see you must like <em>moons</em> a lot,” he drawled in a mocking tone, clearly unimpressed. He took a moment to glance around at the room’s collection of deep purple, celestial paraphernalia. “Convenient.”</p><p>“You didn’t let me finish,” Celena said softly, but the firmness in her voice was unmistakable to Marco. He could tell that her patience was wearing thin.</p><p>“So how long do you suggest we wait, then, <em>Your Highness?”</em>  Toffee asked incredulously. “You <em>do</em> realize that I can’t exactly go back to my commander and say, ‘wait a couple hundred years and we’ll win, I promise,’ don’t you?”</p><p>“If you try to go against Fate, <em>Sergeant</em>, you will be defeated. Or, at least... Mostly so,” she added quietly, quickly glancing down at one of Toffee’s hands, and at one finger in particular. Her subtle foresight wasn’t lost on Marco, and his eyes widened in awe of the queen’s knowledge of the future. “If you and your army attempt to fight me, you <em>will</em> lose. Just as you have countless times in the past, and as you will continue to do, like I just showed you. You will only be able to succeed once our magic has been destroyed. You won’t beat the Butterfly family any other way.”</p><p>Toffee stayed quiet for a few beats. “How do I destroy the Magic?”</p><p>“Are you ready to hear what I have to say?” The queen asked with a voice like gold: soft yet resplendent.</p><p>Before the monster had a chance to respond, however, the queen slowly lowered her fan, placing it on the table between them, a mere few feet from where Toffee stood. Marco couldn’t believe how reckless the queen was being, and his heart stuttered for fear of Toffee getting hold of the Butterfly wand. After a few beats, Marco noticed that the Septarian hadn’t made a single effort to attain the wand, and in fact, he hadn’t responded or moved an inch.</p><p><em>What in the…?</em>  Marco marveled at the sight before him.</p><p>Toffee stood completely motionless in the center of the room. His shoulders remained firmly set, while something akin to wonder filled his expression. Marco followed the monster’s unwavering gaze and allowed himself to behold the queen’s full face. Marco shuddered as he stared at the crescent moons on the Celena's cheeks, which shone with a blood red glow, just like his<em>. </em>She was incredibly beautiful, that much was easy to perceive, but Marco still didn’t understand why Toffee was acting so strangely. <em>Wait, didn’t he say something about her having some power over monsters? Is that why she hides her face from everyone?</em></p><p>The queen fixed her determined gaze on the monster. “Won’t you sit, Sergeant?” Celena asked. She magically pulled the chair opposite her out from the table.</p><p>A few seconds passed while Toffee’s confused, yet fascinated expression wavered. Marco’s heart threatened to burst out of his chest in anticipation. Finally, after what seemed like hours to the teen, Toffee silently nodded and approached the table. He took a seat opposite the queen, with pin-straight posture and his hands resting in his lap.</p><p>“How did she <em>do</em> that?!” Marco couldn’t help but whisper, grateful that he remained invisible.</p><p>As if to answer his question, however, Celena’s eyes flickered towards Marco and she shot him a wink. The teen nearly jumped out of his skin. “Wait, you can—?” He began to ask.</p><p>“So,” Celena said softly, returning her gaze to Toffee. “Will you listen to my prophecy, or will you march you and your army towards destruction?”</p><p>Toffee blinked and started slightly at her words. He took only a split second to collect himself, clearly taking a moment to avert his gaze, before looking up at her once more. “Fine, I’ll bite. How did your mother say it would happen?” He snapped with a stare like ice.</p><p>“She didn’t. She couldn’t see the future,” Celena shrugged.</p><p>“<em>What? </em>Didn’t you just say she—”</p><p>“My mother couldn’t control the prophecies that came to her. She couldn’t see or alter the future to ensure that they came to pass. I, however, can.”</p><p>“So why not destroy it yourself, then?” The sergeant asked. </p><p>“You and I will ensure that it happens, but we will not be the ones to do it. That has already been determined,” the queen explained resolutely.</p><p>“No, I will be the one to do it,” Toffee growled, his hubris and determination contorting his face into a menacing snarl. “And you’re not going to get in my way.”</p><p>“Listen to me,” Celena commanded quietly. Her cheek marks flared angrily for only a split second, but whatever she did was effective enough to cause Toffee to fall silent. Marco shook his head in disturbed disbelief. The queen closed her eyes in concentration as her crescent moons began to glow once again. The air in the room began to swirl around in a warm, almost electric breeze, causing Celena’s flowing tresses and elegant, hooded gown to flutter its force. Her eyes remained closed as she began to speak, while the crystal ball flickered to life with a deep purple hue once more. Toffee’s intent stare drank in the images illuminated before him.</p><p>“There will be a princess and a prince, the Star and the Sun, whose souls will be bound under the light of the Blood Moon. <em>She</em> is the last queen to ascend to the throne, and <em>he</em> is an Earth boy, descended from the first Butterfly line, and imbued with royal magic. They will meet—”</p><p>“I think my mother used to tell me this one,” Toffee teased, clearly unimpressed. “Isn’t this a little… corny?” He intoned dryly.</p><p>The queen opened one eye, daring the monster to continue. He chose wisely and kept his mouth shut, shooting the queen a defiant, yet conceding eye roll. She closed her eyes in concentration and continued to summon images to the crystal. Marco, meanwhile, had been watching in abject horror. While the queen was talking, scenes of Star and Marco appeared in a constant stream from within the crystal: their first encounter at Echo Creek Academy, constant battles versus Ludo’s lackeys, hugs and high fives, trips to Quest Buy, nights spent in watching TV, them in the regal attire they wore on Star’s 'Song Day,' and, finally, their dance at the Blood Moon Ball.</p><p>Marco couldn’t breathe. He could hear Queen Celena continuing her explanation, and he vaguely heard her finally mention his and Star’s names to the lizard, but his brain was struggling to process what he was hearing.</p><p>The flurry of images finally began to slow, and the queen opened her eyes. “Their bond is the only thing capable of destroying the Magic. You and I can merely help them along,” she explained.</p><p>“This all seems a little up to chance, doesn’t it?” Toffee asked, clearly still unconvinced.</p><p>“This is <em>Fate</em>, not chance,” Celena shook her head. “Besides, I have already created the curse to imbue the boy with my magic. When the two become bound under the Blood Moon's light, my powers will be bestowed upon him.”</p><p>Toffee stayed quiet for a couple of beats.</p><p>“Well, I’m leaving,” he stated resolutely, rising from his chair and turning away from the table.</p><p>“He will serve you, Toffee. The Curse of the Blood Moon will make him unable to stay away from her, and it will weaken his defenses. Then <em>you</em> will ensure he does what you want,” the queen added calmly.</p><p>“What?” Toffee and Marco both asked at the same time, albeit one far more panicked than the other.</p><p>To accentuate her point, the crystal projected visions akin to Marco’s nightmares: Marco recognized his own face, except he was wearing a tailored black suit, a red necktie, and held his version of the Butterfly wand. In the final image, Marco had it pointed at Star with a determined, slightly green-tinged look in his eye.</p><p>“What use could I have for a half-breed mewman?” Toffee asked skeptically. “I could just have the princess destroy the wand and then kill her myself, no?”</p><p>Marco's blood boiled, but Celena continued before Marco could lunge at the monster. “She knows exactly how to end your life... For good. I've seen it, Toffee. Would you like to see?” The queen asked menacingly, yet still retaining her usual soothing timbre. Her cheek marks slowly began to glow once again.</p><p>“No, that’s quite enough,” Toffee barked as the crystal ball’s purple light faded away.</p><p>“You won’t need to go after Star directly, and I would advise you against it. The boy's bond with her will give him access to the wand, which must be destroyed in order to be rid of magic. He will... He will do this for you,” Celena affirmed softly.</p><p>Toffee’s narrowed gaze remained fixed on her. “He won't resist? If their souls are bound, won’t he… care for her?”</p><p>“Yes, but this is to your advantage, Sergeant. Love is weakness,” Celena averted her gaze from the lizard as she spoke. He wasn’t certain, but Marco got the sense that she was being disingenuous. Toffee didn’t seem phased at all, but Marco knew that her statement just wasn’t true. Sure, he tended to see things in a more optimistic light, but he knew that his love for Star had only ever made him into a stronger and more capable person in the short time he had known her. He would do anything for her. For example, the moment he got out of the tapestry, Marco vowed to find whatever morsel of Toffee that was haunting him and dispose of the monster himself, no matter the risk.</p><p>“The strings of Fate have already been woven,” the wide-eyed queen continued. “The children will comply, and the Magic will be destroyed because of <em>your</em> intervention, Toffee. <em>You</em> are the only one powerful enough to see this through to the end. You must liberate us all,” the queen proclaimed resolutely.</p><p>Marco felt his cheeks light up from the sheer force of the fury that coursed through him. He glared at the queen and watched as the faint glow of her crescent cheek marks sparked ever so slightly, as if in response to his emotions. <em>Good</em>, Marco hoped she could sense what he was feeling. He was mortified. If the queen knew how powerful Toffee was, then she knew of the absolute carnage and devastation he would bring. She knew that he would kidnap Marco and nearly kill his best friend, not to mention murder Star’s grandmother. Marco wanted to scratch the marks right off his face. He felt betrayed and terrified. The Blood Moon, his heritage, his powers, his love for Star… everything was because of Celena. <em>She cursed me and pawned me off on Toffee, and for what? To get him to ceasefire? Or just to do her dirty work for her?</em></p><p>Toffee hadn’t spoken in quite some time; he was clearly thinking. He stood so still that Marco wondered if the monster was even breathing.</p><p>“If you don’t do this, you will never rid of the Butterfly family,” the queen added. “You will never win.”</p><p>“How will I get them, <em>Star and Marco</em>…” Toffee enunciated, clearly testing out their names, much to his distaste “…to destroy the wand?”</p><p>“The Whispering Spell. It’s the first spell the princess’ mother will have taught her. Use the boy to get to her, and then make her recite it.”</p><p>“I don’t know…” Toffee spoke, shaking his head as his foot tapped slightly.</p><p>“And if he does not comply willingly, you give him this,” Celena added as she closed her eyes once more. A bright flash of purple light filled the room and a red necktie appeared in midair. It was the same one from Marco's nightmares, the one he was wearing in the visions of him which Celena had just showed Toffee on the crystal ball. The accessory fell onto the table’s smooth, dark purple surface. “So long as he has it on, he will do what you require. Think of it as insurance.”</p><p>“How do we even know that the children will meet? How do we know that the curse will take hold?” Toffee asked. Marco was shocked to hear him use such inclusive language. ‘We’ implied that Toffee was complicit in her plan. <em>This is nuts… why is he going along with this?!</em></p><p>“Fate has—”</p><p>“Do <em>not</em> mention Fate again,” Toffee snarled. He then paused where he stood and cocked his head to the side, narrowing his gaze upon the queen. “And what exactly is <em>your</em> role in all of this?” He asked with a condescending sneer. “How do I know you won’t try to stop me?”</p><p>“I am powerless to stop this,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “When you help me complete the curse, my magic will be consumed by the Blood Moon, and my life will go along with it.”</p><p>“You’re disposing of your own life in order to condemn a little Butterfly princess and a boy from Earth? I underestimated you, Your Majesty,” Toffee intoned with a quirked brow, clearly amused.</p><p>“This is your last chance, Toffee. The boy, their bond… They will help you to destroy the powers my family possesses. Don’t, and we will never be rid of the plague of magic,” said the queen coolly. Marco could barely believe that the queen could be so bitter towards her own family’s powers, and to the Magic itself. He knew that magic could cause worlds of problems and corruption, but he never could have imagined that a Butterfly queen would so readily sacrifice him to a fate such as this. Marco felt the hot sting of tears well in his eyes.</p><p>“How can you be so sure?” Asked Toffee. “And what the <em>hell</em>  am I supposed to say to my troops?” He snapped; his resolve was clearly beginning to crumble. Toffee’s questions were becoming more frantic and desperate by the second, as his fiery youth showed itself once more.</p><p>“Seth will be dead by morning, and you will lead them. Tell them you have it under control, and they will wait on your command,” said the queen.</p><p>Marco could only describe Toffee's resulting expression as <em>tenacious</em>. He watched in shock as the lizard once again took a seat before the queen. He felt his stomach twist into a painful knot while his heart filled with dread. <em>No, please. You can’t do this…</em> He silently prayed.</p><p>Toffee let out a forceful exhale. “If he isn’t dead by dawn, it’s your child’s head I’ll be after,” he vowed. He looked down at the table where the queen’s delicate palms laid face-up, then back up and into her eyes before he gently splayed his clawed hands on hers. The same ethereal, electric breeze started swirling around the room as soon as the unlikely team clasped hands. The magical current surrounding them had taken on various shades of dark purple, blood red, and sickly green. Celena’s cheeks were alight with an almost blinding red glow, and Marco could feel his doing the same.</p><p>She nodded resolutely. “Seth won’t live to see the sunrise, General. You’ll make sure of it,” pronounced the queen.</p><p>Suddenly, in one swift motion, Celena picked up the red necktie from the table’s surface, grabbed one of Toffee’s hands, and slammed the object down into his palm.</p><p>“WAIT!” Marco yelled. He began to race towards the table, but a force of energy sent him flying back and toppling to the ground. A roar of sound consumed the room. The monster’s shocked gaze was taken over by beams of piercing green light shooting from his eyes, while he let out a sickening scream. Toffee threw his head back and the effects of the spell sent a hurricane of green and purple and red light blasting through the ceiling.</p><p>“<em>NO!</em>” Marco screamed as he helplessly shielded his eyes from the explosion. He did his best to squint through the glare, and he was finally able to make out the queen’s face. Celena was looking straight at him: her eyes and cheeks radiated bright red light. She gave him a shy, mournful smile and a single nod. The next thing Marco knew, the explosion ebbed, the room fell quiet, and the light left the queen’s eyes.  </p><p>Celena’s body slumped forward onto the table with a soft thud.</p><p>Marco could barely see through the tears which streamed down his face. His bleary gaze, however, was drawn to a faintly glowing red light. He could vaguely make out the silhouette of the necktie that rested in Toffee’s open hand, just across from the queen’s fallen form. Toffee was staring at it with an impassive look. As the tie’s magical glow faded away, Toffee closed his clawed hand around the object, neatly folded it, and tucked it into the breast pocket of his uniform. Marco watched the Septarian push his chair away from the table and stand, then tilt his head to the side as he noticed another object on its surface. A dark purple scroll with a red ribbon around it had magically appeared near the queen’s lifeless hand, which Toffee wordlessly reached for and tucked inside his jacket. The monster proceeded to smooth out the front of his uniform, staring at the dead queen with a sinister, barely visible smile.</p><p>“It’s been a pleasure, Your Majesty,” Toffee said apathetically. His gaze was triumphant and heartless. He then turned on his heel and left the room as confidently as he had entered it.</p><p>“<em>No</em>,” Marco hissed from behind the monster. The next thing he knew he was charging after Toffee and bolting through the doorway, but he lost his footing and accidentally tumbled headlong down the stone staircase. Marco slammed his eyes shut and let out a shout as he braced for the impact. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes and found himself sprawled out on the cool floor of the Grandma Room, back inside the wand.</p><p>Marco wasted no time. He bolted up and ran over to the raised inscription under Rhina’s tapestry, reading the prophecy again and again until he felt his eyes start to strain:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Seven came before Rhina</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(if you subtract the boy),</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Add four more reigns to her domain</em>
</p><p>
  <em>and then what gets destroyed?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“No, no, no, NO!” Marco shouted. He could barely think through the pain in his chest as he began to hyperventilate, clearly beginning to plummet into a panic attack. He moved through the pain and pivoted in a circle, counting out four more reigns away from Rhina. Celena was next; then her daughter Estrella; Comet, Star’s grandmother; and finally Moon. The only tapestry after hers was Star’s, but Marco couldn’t bring himself to look at it, not now that he knew what they were fated to do. <em>We have to destroy the magic.</em></p><p>Marco whipped around and glared at Celena’s tapestry. “How could she do this? Why did she have to work with <em>him?! </em>” Marco cried. <em>He did all that just to have command of an army and be some kind of liberator... Celena knew exactly how to play him and Toffee fell for it, </em>he thought venomously.</p><p>“I know… what a jerk, right?” Said Glossaryck, who had floated in front of Marco’s eyeline.</p><p>“This isn’t real. This can’t be happening…” Marco muttered as he clutched at his head, pulling at fistfuls of hair.</p><p>“Ah, but it is,” Glossaryck noted in a placid tone. “So, now that you know what you are, what are you going to do?”</p><p>Marco suddenly realized something as he continued to glower at Celena’s tapestry. “Is she the reason for my nightmares?! I have her powers s-so… Am I seeing the <em>future</em> like she can?!” Marco asked in a panic.</p><p>“It would appear so. What, you didn’t think that your good looks were the only thing she bestowed upon you, did you?” Glossaryck cajoled in a mocking voice. “You have to admit, they sure must come in handy though.”</p><p>Marco blushed at the unexpected flattery, but Glossaryck’s comment confirmed just how exactly the queen had been able to sway Toffee so successfully. <em>Gross, </em>Marco thought.</p><p>“She <em>CURSED</em> me, Glossaryck,” exclaimed Marco with a high-pitched shriek.</p><p>“Meh, pros and cons,” he shrugged in response.</p><p>“Wait, you can stop this. You <em>are</em> magic, aren’t you?!” Marco asked desperately.</p><p>“I’m afraid that isn’t how this works,” Glossaryck sighed. “Rhina’s prophecies always came to fruition. Y’know, <em>Fate</em> and all that,” he added with a flippant wave of his hand.</p><p>“I-I have to leave. I can’t be near Star or this wand. I can’t let him get what he wants,” Marco stuttered in terror, turning himself around to look for a way out. As he frantically glanced around the room, the sound of fabric ripping echoed throughout the chamber. Marco whipped around and spotted a red object at the base of Star’s tapestry. He didn’t know how it had gotten there, but the effect it had on him was instantaneous. The red necktie, no doubt the very one Celena had given Toffee, sent a thunderous cacophony of whispers straight into Marco’s skull.</p><p>“Now that surely doesn't belong here...” Glossaryck marveled aloud.</p><p>“I can hear it,” Marco whispered in terror. “Glossaryck, you said that I’m drawn to dark magic. Is this what I’ve been hearing? H-How…?” He trailed off as his vision became tunneled and focused solely on the tie. He simply couldn’t look away, no matter how hard he tried. He didn’t notice his legs stepping him closer to Star’s tapestry. Marco felt as though he was being pulled by an inexplicable force, like he was bound to it. His common sense was overpowered by the ear-splitting noise inside his head as the teen began to crouch down and reach for the cursed object.</p><p>“Marco, wait. You may want to—” Glossaryck tried to warn in vain. His admonition fell short on his lips as he watched the teen finally grasp the tie.</p><p>The moment his hand made contact with the object, Marco felt a dizzying, almost anesthetic calm wash over him, threatening to drown him completely. The voices settled and his head grew blissfully silent, until one lone voice reverberated through his mind and consumed his attention.</p><p><em><strong>Now, listen carefully and she won’t get hurt,</strong></em> the voice of Marco’s nightmares spoke, smooth and detached as ever.</p><p>Marco let out a piercing scream that shook the walls of the Tapestry Room. His body crumpled in on itself and became enveloped by a bright green glow. Glossaryck, meanwhile, tore his gaze away from Marco and looked up toward Star’s tapestry, where knew the tie had fallen from. There was a visible hole in the center of Marco’s likeness, where the tie would have completed the look of his now formal attire. The tapestry was being eaten away by blotches of dark purple, all except for Marco’s outline, which stood menacingly in its center. He wore Toffee’s signature suit—save for the tie—and held the Butterfly wand in his grasp. The boy's eyes, which shone with a dim green light, were the last things visible before the tapestry was finally swallowed by the corrupted, purple magic.</p><p>“This is bad...” Glossaryck expressed in alarm.</p><p>The walls of the chamber had started to rumble and shake, while bursts of purple and green sludge were exploding through the bricks. Glossaryck looked down at the convulsing boy with wide eyes.</p><p>“We’ve gotta go!” He shouted as he dove toward Marco and pried open his eyelid, sending the two of them blinking out of the wand and back into reality.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“What the heck? <em>Ugh</em>, my head,” Marco groaned. He slowly picked himself up off the floor of his bedroom. He looked outside and saw that the sun was high in the sky above the Monster Temple. “I must have passed out,” he muttered to himself in confusion, no idea how he ended up on his bedroom floor, let alone how it was already close to noon. The last thing he remembered was opening the door to his room last night after parting ways with Star.</p><p>The thought of his best friend sent a wave of fear coursing through him. Flashes of images of the two of them in a crystal ball danced across his vision, as the memories of last night flooded his mind. His head began to pound with an all too familiar feeling. Marco fought through the nausea as he began to search his room frantically. <em>Where’s the wand?! I know it’s here. I can hear it. </em>His search was unsuccessful, but he realized that the blended sounds of buzzing, whirring, and whispering were coming from a pinpointed location beside him. Marco slowly turned his head towards the thrall of the noise and found himself staring at a red necktie, hanging from his mirror. Marco let out a choked gasp and stumbled backward, tripping over the leg of his desk chair and flailing before hitting the ground. The rest of the memories hit him at full force—images of a younger Toffee looking both shaken and enthralled, Celena glancing at Marco with a saddened smile, then a nod; and of Toffee grasping the very same tie as he loomed over the queen’s lifeless body. The teen raised himself off the floor once again and began to pace the room, clearly panicking. He kept himself as far away from the cursed object as possible.</p><p>“Oh no, no, no, no… What am I gonna <em>do?!</em>” He hissed to himself in a panicked whisper. Marco had started to absentmindedly tidy the room as he paced in worried circles. “I-I really don’t want to tell Star, but what other choice do I have?! Maybe Eclipsa can help me…” Marco trailed off and paused what he was doing, holding his head in his hands as he continued to mutter to himself. “But she has the dinner with Star’s parents tonight, which I am also definitely expected to be at,” he groaned. “Okay, I can do this. I can get through a dinner. Then Eclipsa can help me. Yeah, okay. You’ve got this, Diaz.”</p><p>Marco continued his fervid tidying—an action that usually calmed him when he had anxiety—and reminded himself that he would have to decide what to wear for tonight. The minutes blurred by while Marco took deep breaths and tried to push the visions of last night from his mind. As he tidied—dusting surfaces, folding and hanging up clothes meticulously—he began to pay little mind to his actions. In fact, he failed to notice that his movements had become slower, more calculated, even, and that his headache was finally starting to dull. His thoughts began to drift to back to the wand:</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Find it. You can end this… Then you can finally be with her.</em> </strong>
</p><p>Marco instantly realized that he wasn’t hearing his own voice. He shook his head in confusion at the stream of intrusive thoughts, finally snapping out of his foggy state. He found himself standing in front of his bedroom mirror, smoothing down the front of a white collard shirt that was cleanly tucked into a pair of black dress pants. His expression was calm and steely, almost cold. It was the face he saw throughout his countless nightmares. Marco’s gaze quickly became alarmed. He looked to the side of the mirror and saw that he had absentmindedly hung up a matching black suit jacket, which had the red necktie draped over top of it.</p><p>Anger, fear, and confusion overwhelmed his senses. “What am I doing?!” He gasped to himself<em>.</em></p><p>He couldn’t shake the feeling of déjà vu. Suddenly, a memory of him and Star standing in the rubble of Ludo’s castle entered his mind. It was after Toffee had forced Star to destroy the wand, and the explosion had almost entirely decimated the place. All that was left standing was a mirror with Toffee’s jacket and tie hanging from below it. Marco recalled how he had approached it and swiped his hand over the mirror’s dirtied surface, only to find his own placid, unimpressed face reflected in it.<strong>* </strong><em>‘ Pfft, lawyers,'</em>  he remembered saying at the time.</p><p>“That’s it, no more boring lawyer clothes!” Marco exclaimed as he frantically began to untuck the dress shirt from his pants.</p><p><strong><em>That's enough,</em></strong> a smooth, deep, and familiar voice sharply reprimanded from inside Marco’s mind.</p><p>“<em>TOFFEE?!</em>” Marco gasped. He was barely able to hold himself up as his knees almost gave out from the shock.</p><p><strong><em>You may want to be a bit quieter,</em></strong> the monster’s voice continued, clearly laced with boredom and annoyance.</p><p>“Nope, this isn’t happening. You’re supposed to be dead! I-I-I watched Star kill you,” Marco spluttered in denial. Even so, he realized the severity of the situation; it was as if all his nightmares had been leading to this. “So it was all real,” the half-mewman continued in shock. “Celena, she…” he stopped himself before he could say the words out loud. <em>She did this to me.</em></p><p>“STAR!” Marco called out in dismay. He couldn’t help himself anymore. He needed help. He needed to be saved.</p><p><strong><em>I wouldn’t do that, if I were you. Not if you want what’s best for her</em></strong>, said Toffee. The threat wasn’t lost on Marco.</p><p>“What could you possibly do to Star? You’re just inside my head. What, is Celena’s magic keeping you alive or something?” Marco asked in disbelief. He looked over at the tie and shuddered.</p><p><strong><em>Ah, so you know about that,</em></strong> Toffee’s voice commended. <strong><em>Believe me, I’m almost as shocked as you. Yet, here we are.</em></strong></p><p>“I don’t care about whatever deal you and she had. I don’t care about what she promised you. You’re not gonna hurt <em>anyone</em>, not this time. Not when you’re so powerless,” Marco warned. His head was positively throbbing at this point—he couldn’t stop looking over at the tie. The pull of its thrall was even stronger now that he was out of the wand.</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Are you sure about that?</em> </strong>
</p><p>Marco looked at his reflection once more, recognizing that he had no control over his current appearance. He began to tear at the buttons on the white dress shirt in an attempt to free himself from it, but he was interrupted by the creak of the door. Marco paused, his eyes wide and manic and his shirt half off. Star entered the room.</p><p>“Yeah, Marco?” She called as she swung the door open. She quickly located him and stopped in her tracks. Marco noticed the hearts on her cheeks flare with a bright shade of pink, and he knew that her faint blush was far more attractive compared to however his beet red face must have looked in that moment.</p><p>“Oops, sorry,” Star muttered, awkwardly averting her gaze. “Yikes. I, uh… I have <em>got</em> to stop walking in on you like this.”</p><p>Marco had no idea what to do in this situation. “Oh. Uh, I-I just—”</p><p>“It’s cool, I just thought I heard my name... Anyway, I’ll see you downstairs in a bit!” Star blurted as she backed out of the room and slammed the door. “And no hoodies tonight!” She called from the other side.</p><p>Marco heard her footsteps start to quickly recede down the hall, and he let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. He just stood there, speechless and mortified.</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Smooth…</em> </strong>
</p><p>Marco felt his eyes roll at his expense, but his stomach dropped when he realized that it was not done of his own volition nor control.</p><p>“How did you do that?!” Marco gasped. He looked back down at his disheveled formal wear and remembered his panic from a few moments before. It was as if he had been on some kind of autopilot earlier, and the fact that Toffee had also just apparently rolled his eyes <em>for</em> him confirmed that the monster was able to influence Marco’s actions. The teen swallowed back the bile that was building in his throat.</p><p>
  <strong> <em>You heard the princess; you have a party to get ready for.</em> </strong>
</p><p>His gaze was inexplicably drawn towards the red necktie once more. Marco knew exactly what his enemy was implying. “I am <em>not</em> putting that thing on,” he hissed quietly, pointing at the object where it hung beside the mirror. “And I’m not going anywhere near that dinner. There’s no way I’m letting you get to the wand or Star.”</p><p>Marco had finally realized that it was Toffee who had been drawing him to the wand, via the tie he had somehow stashed inside of it. His headache was worsening by the second. In fact, Marco recalled how the pain had only gone away when he was zoned out a few minutes prior, while Toffee was in control of his actions.</p><p>
  <em> <strong>I’m afraid you don’t have much of a choice. Whether it’s the Blood Moon that draws you to the princess, or Celena’s magic running through your veins, you know that you’re powerless to stop this.</strong> </em>
</p><p>“So are you, so long as I’m in control,” Marco whispered.</p><p>
  <em> <strong>Perhaps you’re right, but if you want this to go smoothly, you’re going to let the Blood Moon guide you, and you’re going to do as I say—whether you want to or not.</strong> </em>
</p><p>“You can’t do this,” Marco whispered. His breaths were becoming laboured. He was terrified that Toffee had been able to control him so easily, and that all he wanted to do was to make the headache and the deafening whispers stop. He was giving it everything he had just to stay standing as the pain tore through his skull, but the teen could feel himself weakening with each moment he spent near the tie. He knew he couldn’t bear the torment much longer. <em>I can. I just need to…</em></p><p><strong><em>It hurts you when you try to fight it, doesn’t it?  </em></strong>Toffee asked, and Marco could hear the smile in the monster’s voice.</p><p>Marco looked at his reflection. He saw a single tear glide down his cheek as the pressure behind his eyes became absolutely unbearable. He felt his defenses crumble. His hand started to reach for the necktie without his permission, and Marco was forced to watch helplessly as his fingers wrapped around the smooth, red garment.</p><p>Marco’s mind finally went quiet. The eyes that stared back at him were unfeeling and tinged with green.</p><p>“Good,” Marco heard his own voice drawl.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*Examples of Marco's ties to dark magic can be seen in (I would argue) S2E03 "Monster Arm," being affected by the Blood Moon in various episodes (see notes in chapter 2), and most eerily at the very end of S2E13 "Page Turner," where Marco is clearly possessed by the dark magic in Eclipsa's chapter upon reading it (he is seen floating in Star's room looking absolutely terrifying).</p><p>*"Until the rest of you start to show up," is a reference to S2E12 "Into the Wand," where Star encounters multiple versions of herself from different points in time.</p><p>*I'm not sure why, but Celena's description in the published "Magic Book of Spells" says "what LIES behind the golden fan," unlike her write-up in S2E12 "Into the Wand," that states "what HIDES behind the golden fan."  </p><p>*Toffee's military outfit and slightly younger/higher voice are from S4E10 "Meteora's Lesson." This is also the scene where baby Meteora attacks Toffee, and we find out that him and Glossaryck already have a rapport, despite Toffee's evident young age (not to mention his absolutely delightful, shaggy bad-boy hair). </p><p>*Celena's use of tarot cards is actually a part of her magic, as seen in the "Magic Book of Spells." Also, one of her tarot cards is The Septarian, and I think that fits nicely with my want of some kind of connection between her and Toffee. As for her abilities via her crystal ball, I added this rather on-theme element for some wholesome, witchy vibes. </p><p>*According to one of Star’s notes in the book "Star and Marco’s Guide to Mastering Every Dimension," Moon told Star that Celena’s "beauty was one of her powers and she was actually able to disarm monsters with a single glance in their direction." </p><p>*The four suits on Celena's cards, resembling Eclipsa, Meteora, Moon, and Star, are also visible all throughout the Tapestry/'Grandma' Room, as seen in S2E12 "Into the Wand." They are on the door, ceiling, and line the baseboards... Not cryptic at all, right?</p><p>*Marco's reflection in Toffee's mirror, with his jacket and tie hanging below it, after Ludo's castle is destroyed is from S1E13 "Storm the Castle." Marco says his "Pfft, lawyers" line in this moment. I also love the scene where Marco says to Toffee "Yeah, well, you’re boring. And you dress like a lawyer," after Toffee calls him "a disappointment." Tell me, why would Toffee call him "a disappointment" unless he had high hopes for the boy? (Insert my fanfic here).</p><p> </p><p>Thank you all so much for reading, and let me know if you have any theories, etc. yourselves! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A Great Evil Has Been Unleashed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Eclipsa and Moon try Detect Magic on Marco, and things go just about as terribly as expected.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>*To avoid any unnecessary discomfort, I should note that Toffee is only fully in control of Marco’s actions when his eyes turn green. Otherwise, he’s just along for the ride to internally manipulate our sweet, sweet, cursed boy. And while Marco may take on some of his mannerisms from time to time, I can assure you that Toffee is probably doing his absolute best to tune out during any romantic moments between Star and Marco (~spoiler alert).</p><p>*Don’t forget that the rest of the story aligns with the final four episodes of the show, and so Moon and Mina’s Solarian Warriors are still approaching!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Star spent dinner completely wrapped up in the agonizing tension that permeated the room. The queen and ex-queen were clearly trying to be civil with one another, albeit with little success. No matter what Eclipsa did to try to coerce her guest into a diplomatic conversation, Star’s mother hardly seemed like she was in the mood to talk; she avoided nearly every question she was asked with a cryptic lack of information. Frustrated by the obvious lack of progress, Star wondered why her parents had even accepted the invitation in the first place.</p><p>As for the others, Star’s father remained wholly unfazed as he continued to eat ravenously; Meteora entertained herself by periodically attempting to assail Marco with food from across the long table; Globgor barely touched his plant-based meal, clearly distressed by the unnerving atmosphere; while Marco, when he wasn’t being pelted with various foodstuffs, did uncharacteristically little to aid Star in diffusing the tension in the room. Star was grateful for the tender, condoling smiles she received from him every now and then, but she thought he seemed somewhat distracted from the task at hand.</p><p>After the main course was through and their large plates were replaced by small bowls of some dainty, pink dessert—which Star was too stressed to even touch—she noticed that the seat beside her had been empty for quite some time. Marco had excused himself from the table shortly after the main course had arrived, but he still had yet to return. His absence made Star uneasy, but she couldn’t imagine leaving Eclipsa alone to deal with her stubborn mother. <em>I don’t get it,</em> Star thought to herself in frustration. <em>She won’t talk, but she still won’t leave… It’s like she’s stalling or something.</em> The former princess vowed to corner her mother after dinner was through and confront her.</p><p>If only the dinner would end. Once the final dishes were cleared and it seemed as though it would soon be safe for Star to depart from the table and locate her friend, the two couples finally got to talking. It was not civil. Globgor had suggested that perhaps promoting a more vegetarian lifestyle throughout the kingdom would help diffuse some of the mewmen’s fears, to which River had responded by slamming his fists on the table and berating the monster with a series of shouted threats. During which time, the two Butterfly queens took it upon themselves to begin a rather heated argument about the future of the ruinous Butterfly Castle.</p><p>“Absolutely not. I will <em>not</em> have you knock down my family home and turn it into some kind of circus ring,” Moon vowed, clearly offended.</p><p>“It’s a <em>theatre</em>, Moon. I want my people to be happy. Please be reasonable,” Eclipsa pleaded with a tired voice. “And <em>your</em> family’s home? You must be kidding,” she scoffed under her breath.</p><p>Star groaned into her hands as the room erupted into indistinguishable shouting. Since her parents clearly were not leaving the Monster Temple anytime soon, Star decided that she was going to need backup to get through the rest of the night. She quietly excused herself from the table—an act which no one noticed in the slightest—and proceeded to wander the dimly lit hallways of the grand building. After asking a collection of servants scattered throughout the main floor if they had seen Marco, to which no one replied in the affirmative, she made her way up the stairs in a huff. <em>I don’t know what Marco’s deal is, but I’m over it</em>, she thought to herself pettily. She knew that he had to have a good excuse for ditching her, but she still felt kind of salty about it.</p><p>Star decided to make her way to Marco’s bedroom, which was still only accessible through hers, since she had created the addition when they first moved into the Monster Temple a few months back. She walked straight through her room and into his, but Marco was nowhere to be found. <em>Where the heck is this guy?!  </em>She wondered, taking a moment to pause in his doorway and tap her foot in thought. Suddenly, she heard a thump from far above her. <em>The roof? Really?  </em>Star quickly transformed into her butterfly form and fluttered out his window and upwards, before swiftly landing on the roof of her bedroom’s tower.</p><p>As she landed and returned to her former appearance, clad in a large blue and white long-sleeved gown once again, Star was met with an unexpected sight. She watched in confusion as she took in Marco’s partially shadowed form, facing away from her. He was sitting, leaning back on his hands, and appeared to be looking up at the night sky. Star followed his gaze and saw that two of Mewni’s moons were in eclipse. They were causing a reddish glow to wash over the Monster Temple, like a sunset at midnight. Star paused for a moment. Her eyes trailed along Marco’s back, noting the way his black suit jacket stretched over his shoulders, which she noticed had been becoming surprisingly broad as of late.</p><p><em>Whoa…</em> She admired internally, feeling her face heat up.</p><p>Star stopped her train of thought before it could delve her any further into uncomfortable territory. Her feelings for Marco had been complicating things enough over the past few months in particular, and the last thing she needed right now was to let her thoughts venture down that road. <em>You’re mad at him, remember?  </em>She scolded herself.</p><p>“<em>Ahem</em>,” Star cleared her throat melodramatically. She watched the boy’s shoulders jolt in surprise before quickly loosening themselves, the taught creases on his jacket almost melting in the crimson moonlight. “Watching without me?” She asked, even though it was well past sunset, the time they usually spent together on the roof back when they were living here.</p><p>“Hey,” Marco breathed as he slowly turned around. He stood up and faced her. “You’re here.” He gave her a dazzling, heartfelt smile.</p><p>Star had to take a moment to collect herself. She shook her head. “Duh, it’s <em>my</em> roof. Where else would I be?” She quipped with a slight tone of annoyance, turning away from his imploring gaze, which was slightly shadowed by the orange and reddish glow of the sky. She took a moment to remove the periwinkle headband which had constricted her hair into an up-do and placed it in her pocket, letting her tresses fall loosely down her back. She let out a sigh of relief. It was after stressful days such as today that Star was reminded of how grateful she was to have her best friend here with her for support, even if she was a bit annoyed with him at the moment. Yet she didn’t expect to see him waiting for her outside, instead of downstairs, aiding with the aftermath of the disastrous dinner.</p><p>“What’s up? I didn’t see you leave, and it would have been nice to have you around near the end, there,” she muttered, hoping to draw some kind of guilty reaction out of him. Even though she was irked at the moment, she was happy to be with him and away from the tumult downstairs. Marco always knew how to make her feel calm when tensions ran high in the royal family, a source of comfort she seldom had growing up in their vast, lonely halls.</p><p>“Whoops, my bad,” he smirked awkwardly. “I just needed some air after all of, well… <em>that</em>,” he shrugged.</p><p>“Yeah, sure, sure, sure. I just didn’t expect to find you <em>here</em>, without me,” Star replied as she extended both arms and gestured to the open air around them.</p><p>“Oh? Should I have made an appointment, Princess?” Marco teased in response, a wry smile lifting a corner of his mouth.</p><p>“Ha-ha… Don’t call me that,” Star grumbled, a bit thrown off by his use of her former title, even if it was just to tease her. “So what’s with outfit, <em>Mr. Diaz?</em>” Star returned his formality, “I thought you hated lawyers.”</p><p>Marco’s taunting smile faltered almost imperceptibly. Star could have sworn she saw a strange glint of light in his eyes for just a split second, but she shook it off and chalked it up to exhaustion. <em>Great, now I’m seeing things…</em></p><p>Marco responded by slowly unbuttoning his black suit jacket as he spoke. “Maybe a lawyer could have been useful down there,” he quipped in response. He let the garment hang loosely open, clearly attempting to look less formal. The two teens jumped as the sound of glass shattering and shouting reverberated through the Monster Temple below.</p><p>“No kidding. I <em>really</em> hope that was Meteora...” Star cringed. “So what happened? Why did you leave early?”</p><p>“I took a minute to get some air and enjoy the view, then I… Well, I got lost in thought, I guess,” he stated. His eyes drank her in as Star stepped out further onto the roof, while the reddish glow of Mewni’s moons draped them both in crimson light. “Nice, right?” He asked, casually nodding to the eclipsing moons above while pointedly holding eye contact with her. “Do you remember that ball in the Underworld?”</p><p>Star couldn’t help the blush that darkened her cheeks. The suit he was currently wearing reminded her of that surreal night. She remembered how well he could dance, and the way he had murmured her name as he twirled her around the ballroom in dizzying, graceful circles. She remembered hanging out on her bedroom balcony—back on Earth—with him afterwards, looking over the edge and out at the night sky. She recalled how her feelings for him began to change from that night on, and just how long she had spent pining over him afterwards. If she was being honest with herself, her period of pining for him hadn’t exactly gone away. She remembered how Marco had kissed her in the photo booth at Ruberiot and Foolduke’s wedding, a moment her mind often replayed. She would never understand how things could be so complicated and messy with the one person who made her feel at home in the multiverse. </p><p>Star tried to ignore the weight in her chest as she studied his unreadable gaze. She crossed her arms and took a few more steps towards him. “You didn’t answer the question, Diaz,” Star pressed as she recovered from her reverie.</p><p>He shrugged coyly. “I thought, well, maybe you would want to dance with me again?” Marco suggested with a sweet and imploring gaze. He removed the hand that was in his pocket and offered it to her.</p><p>Star’s stomach both dropped and soared, as if filled with a whirlwind of leaden butterflies.</p><p>“Marco, I-I’m flattered, but I’m still with Tom… Well, kind of,” she muttered. “You <em>know</em> I’m with Tom.”</p><p>The boy’s hand fell to his side. “Are you?” He questioned thoughtfully, taking a step towards her.</p><p>“Marco, look. I don’t want to talk about this right—”</p><p>“You don’t think it was <em>by chance</em> that you and I were the ones to dance under the light of the Blood Moon, do you?” He asked suddenly. Marco’s gaze bore into hers as he continued. “Not you and Tom, not anyone else… But <em>us</em>. Just us.”</p><p>Star had to double check that she wasn’t flying. She felt immensely confused.</p><p>“What are you talking about? It was just some weird ball in the Underworld… And that was hardly romantic. You <em>crashed</em> it, remember?” She accused him, trying to ignore the contradicting feelings flitting about in her stomach. “What does this have to do with anything right now?”</p><p>“We can’t keep avoiding this like it’s not real. It chose us for a reason,” Marco urged softly. Star watched as he stuffed both of his hands back into the pockets of his pants. He took two slow steps towards her. <em>What is he even talking about? There’s an eclipse tonight, that’s all, </em>she thought as she shook her head in bewilderment.</p><p>“You’re not making any sense,” Star said with a firm tone, but she heard her voice waver at the final word, suddenly both dreading and anticipating the minimal distance between them. Marco continued to approach her with an air of slow, tantalizing determination. <em>I’ve never seen him like this before…</em></p><p>“Can we dance? Please, Star? I’ll explain everything soon, but…” He was now close enough to reach out and touch her, slowly lacing one of his hands with hers while the other rested on her waist.</p><p>“Marco, stop,” Star breathed, still torn by the conflict inside her. Her feet remained rooted in place as the two held their joined stance.</p><p>“You don’t want to?” Marco asked as he took the final step to close the distance between them, fixing his stare on hers with his eyebrow slightly quirked.</p><p><em>Really?</em> <em>He chooses</em> right now <em>to get cocky?!  </em>Star’s heart was pounding so loudly that she could barely breathe. Sure, Marco could be full of himself from time to time, but never like this. Star wasn’t prepared for it, whatever this was.</p><p>“I said <em>no</em>,” she pressed more forcefully.</p><p>“Can’t I just have you to myself for tonight?” Marco begged, desperation soaking his words. “<em>Please? ”</em></p><p>The cold night air took on a sharp chill around her. Star was furious. “What?! I’m not something you get to just <em>have</em>, Marco,” she snapped, finally releasing her hand from his. She took a few steps away and began to hesitantly retreat from her best friend, who remained immersed in the moon’s eerie red glow. Nothing about this situation seemed comfortable to her. Although they had certainly had their fair share of awkward moments in the past, Marco had never done anything to make her feel so hurt and confused. It was as though he had completely abandoned the boundaries and respect that held their already complicated relationship together. She was fragile right now—not to mention that she didn’t even know where her and Tom stood, and if they were actually broken up or not—and Marco knew that.</p><p>“Of course. You’re right,” Marco whispered in what Star construed as defeat.</p><p>Her mind was reeling at the strangeness of his behaviour. In any other situation, Star knew that Marco surely would have panicked after pulling a stunt like that—his voice would have cracked, raised in pitch, or done <em>something</em> to show his emotions. Tense moments such as these usually caused him to drop his gaze and physically retreat, or awkwardly try to redeem himself. Marco was normally so expressive and thoughtful and, most importantly, he knew when to give her space.</p><p>“I can’t help it anymore. I <em>want</em> you,” Marco stated with a tone of pure desperation.</p><p>A confusing array of ice and fire pierced through her. “Don’t say that. You <em>can’t</em> sa—”</p><p>“—Because I love you, Star,” he interjected, his voice barely above a breath. He reached for her once again, his hand encircling her wrist.</p><p>Tears began to sting Star’s eyes as anger filled her chest<em>. </em>It may have been something she had been hoping to hear for the majority of the time they had known one another, but the way he was approaching the situation was all wrong to Star. <em>Can’t he see that I’m not okay?</em> <em>Why would he say that right now?!</em></p><p>She realized the danger she was in as soon as the thought crossed her mind.</p><p>Even throughout their past drama, Marco valued his friendships with both her and Tom more than anything—sometimes even more than the normal life that awaited him back home on Earth. He chose to remain by her side as her squire even after he kissed her in the ‘magic’ photo booth, which, of course, resulted in her inevitably turning him down. But after that, no matter how many prolonged hugs and longing glances passed between them, Marco had never crossed the line again. <em>So why would he say that? Why now?</em>  The question repeated itself in her mind, but Star already knew the answer:</p><p>
  <em>Because this isn’t Marco.</em>
</p><p>Star felt ice cold panic seep deep into her flesh as adrenaline forced out any remaining warmth she felt in reaction to his touch. Fortunately, Star had grown accustomed to facing danger head-on since acquiring the matrilineal wand.</p><p>“Don’t you feel this?” The boy pleaded, standing just slightly taller than her. He used both of his hands to grab onto one of hers and pressed it against his chest. Star swallowed back the longing brought on by the feel of his heartbeat. She couldn’t let her feelings for him get in the way. <em>I can do this…</em> She steeled herself silently.</p><p>“Marco, you already know how I feel about you,” Star murmured. She prayed that he couldn’t hear the quiver in her voice and the pounding in her chest as she allowed herself to enter his space, nearly pressing her heartbeat against his. His hands instinctively grabbed onto her waist once more, just a little too tightly. Star held her breath.</p><p>“I do?” Marco whispered while his face dipped dangerously close to hers. His eyes flitted down to her lips in a way Star could only describe as <em>foreign</em>. The warm smile that never failed to make the corner of his eyes wrinkle and his expression soften was now tinged with desperation and desire. She could barely detect a trace of her best friend behind the shadows cast down upon him from the moons above, but a feeling in her chest told her that Marco might still be in there. The threat of tears stung Star’s eyes as she hesitantly raised her arms and draped them over his shoulders, resting her hands on the back of his neck. She felt his grip on her waist tighten even more, while his eyes sparked with a look that she knew meant <em>want</em>.</p><p>“Yeah, I…” she let her voice trail off as she brought her lips closer to his. Through her teary gaze, Star could see the faint blue glow of her hands behind his head. “I’m sorry,” she whispered as a surge of light suddenly illuminated the entire rooftop. The spell, however, was deflected at the last second when Marco reached up and wrenched Star’s arms away from him, sending the beam of light soaring over their heads before ricocheting off the roof and fading into the cold night air.</p><p>“<em>Star?! </em>” Marco exclaimed as he reeled back, his face a mix of confusion and hurt. The way his voice pitched up as he shouted her name revealed to Star that the person standing before her was in fact Marco. <em>But… But it’s not him. I don’t understand…</em></p><p>Star pointed her palms directly at him. “Stay back!” She commanded.</p><p>“Wait! Just let—”</p><p>“Tell me who you are <em>right now!</em>” She shouted. The glow from her hands flared in response to her anger.</p><p>“Star… It’s me, <em>Marco</em>. Your best friend. Please, don’t do this,” he pleaded while slowly closing the distance between them once again. He raised his hands up in a show of surrender.</p><p>Star didn’t trust him for one second. “What did you do to Marco?!” She demanded harshly, her voice deepening significantly as he continued to approach her.</p><p>“I don’t know what you me—!”</p><p>“<em>Not</em> good enough!” Star shouted, shooting a blast of energy straight at the chest of her best friend, but he ducked and rolled out of the way at the last second.</p><p>A short moment later, Marco slowly stood and regained his stance. He seemed uncharacteristically calm. He ran his hands down the front of his red necktie and white button-up shirt, smoothing out the garments.</p><p>“<em>Don’t</em> try that again,” Marco threatened with a voice suddenly like ice, though the tinge of green beginning to emerge from behind his eyes told Star that she was now speaking to someone else entirely. <em>It’s that same green light I saw before…</em> She recognized in horror. </p><p>Star ran at him without another moment of delay. Marco dashed to the side, but she gracefully slid under where his legs had just been and in one swift motion struck the back of his head with yet another blast of sparkling blue light. This time, however, the spell hit its target. Marco whipped around to face her, clutching at the spot of impact on the back of his head as he let out a pained grunt. His green-stained eyes widened in realization for a short moment before they rolled back into their sockets.</p><p>Marco crumpled to the ground at Star’s feet, unconscious.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Frantic footsteps echoed down the dim, cavernous hallway which led down to the lowest level of the Monster Temple. Hurrying towards the final door at the end of the long stone corridor, she could make out the form of a shadowed figure curled up on the floor ahead of her. Recognizing the faint light refracting off of her daughter’s golden hair, the former queen of Mewni came to a slow and knelt down towards the small teen.</p><p>“Mom?” Star’s wavering voice whispered into the frigid hallway of the dungeon.</p><p>“I’m here, it’s okay,” Moon spoke in a hushed tone as she smoothed a hand down her daughter’s hair. She was utterly confused. After Star had excused herself from the table, Eclipsa had followed upstairs shortly after to put Meteora down to sleep. Then, a few rather awkward minutes later, Eclipsa charged back into the dining room and announced that something bad had happened, and that Star was trying to detain Marco in the dungeon.</p><p>“Eclipsa told me…” Moon tried to explain as she replayed Eclipsa’s frantic explanation in her mind. “Star, what happened?”</p><p>“It’s Marco,” Star answered. Her tone was quiet and gravely serious, but she was clearly distraught, despite her obvious attempts to keep her composure. Moon’s heart broke at the sight of her daughter in such a dark state. “I don’t know what happened to him. It was like someone was talking through him. He seemed just kind of <em>off</em> at first, but then suddenly he… He looked liked he wanted to hurt me.” Star’s voice began to crack as her true dismay began to surface. “It was so scary, Mom.”</p><p>As if on cue, Marco’s voice pierced through the other side of the dungeon’s door. “STAR!” He desperately shrieked. Moon cringed at the sound of the boy’s fervid sobbing. “<em>PLEASE</em>, YOU CAN’T DO THIS!”</p><p>“He won’t stop yelling for me,” Star whispered, her voice barely audible over the sounds of Marco’s shouting. The young teen groaned and leaned her head back against the wooden door of the boy’s cell. “What do I do?”</p><p>“Let Eclipsa and I deal with this, okay? I don’t want you near him right now,” Moon consoled her daughter as she extended a hand to help her up off the dungeon’s squalid ground. Star refused her mother’s hand and bolted upwards on her own accord.</p><p>“What?! I can’t just leave him, I—”</p><p>“<em>Listen</em> to him, Star,” Moon pleaded as she stood up, gesturing to the wooden door beside them. “He’s not stable, and having you here may not be helping the matter.”</p><p>Star took a deep breath. She nodded. “Okay. Okay, yeah. You’re right.”</p><p>“Why don’t you go and see Tom in the meantime?”</p><p><em>Uh oh…</em> “Weeeeeell, you see, that, uh…” Star began awkwardly, realizing that she had never actually told her mother about her fight with Tom, which was the reason for her impromptu stay back on Earth. She opened her mouth to continue speaking, but an idea suddenly came to her. Star looked up at her mother with wide eyes. “That’s actually a really good idea!”</p><p>“Oh? That’s… Good, then,” Moon replied, clearly confused but not willing to press the matter.</p><p>Star placed her hands on the door to Marco’s cell. “Don’t worry, Marco, I’m gonna figure this out! Just stay there, okay? I’ll be back soon!” She called to her friend. The boy began to cry out in response.</p><p>“WAIT! DON’T GO! STAR, HELP ME, <em>PLEASE!</em>”</p><p>Star couldn’t bear the sound of her friend’s turmoil. <em>It’s like he’s being tortured,</em> she shuddered. “Maaaaaaaaybe I’ll just quickly check on him bef—”</p><p>“Star, please,” Moon warned, placing her hands on her hips impatiently.</p><p>“Yes, right. Bad idea,” Star muttered awkwardly, cringing at the sound of Marco’s continuous screams. “Just… Wait for me to get back before you do anything, okay?”</p><p>Moon nodded solemnly. “Alright.”</p><p>“Mom,” Star said forcefully. “Promise me. I just… I need to be there for him. I don’t know what’s making him act like this, but I know he’s still in there,” she vowed.</p><p>“Of course,” Moon consoled her daughter, placing her hands on the girl’s shoulders. “I promise. He’ll be here when you get back, and then we can figure out where to go from there. In the meantime, I’ll see what I can figure out,” She hoped that her daughter would take her time. Whatever was going on with Marco did <em>not</em> sound like it was going to be an easy fix.</p><p>“Okay, I should go…” Star looked back at the door and hesitated. “Wait, what are we even talking about?! The portals aren’t working!” She exclaimed, letting out a groan.</p><p>“Here,” Moon suggested. She took out a pair of silver interdimensional scissors and spliced a flaming rift through the hallway’s frigid air. Her face was impassive and unreadable.</p><p>“Mom…? How did you do that?” Star gaped at the portal before her. She narrowed her gaze on her mother. “What did you do?”</p><p>“It’s uh, a little complicated, dear,” Moon hesitated, clearly uncomfortable.</p><p>“Buff Frog was right,” Star murmured to herself angrily. <em>I can’t trust you…</em></p><p>“Star—”</p><p>“Ugh<em>,</em> <em>look</em>. I don’t know what’s going on anymore—like, at all. Everything is kind of a total mess—but I <em>literally</em> don’t have time for this right now.” Star shook her head at her mother in disappointment. “My priority is Marco. So, can you <em>at least</em> just give me the scissors so that I can get back here and help him?”</p><p>“Yes, of course. I promise I will explain everything—”</p><p>“Just… <em>Don’t</em>,” Star snapped sharply, triggered by the memory of Marco making that exact same vow to her out on the roof a short while prior. Despite all these empty promises from the people she loved the most, Star was beginning to feel more helpless than ever. <em>I tried to trust you, but you just can’t handle letting me in once in awhile, can you? So I’m done. I’m going to figure this out myself.</em> Star may not have known what was going on with Marco at the moment, but she had a pretty good hunch that someone in the Underworld did, even though it was someone she <em>really</em> didn’t want to have to deal with at the moment.</p><p>“I’ll send Eclipsa down on my way out,” Star stated, barely concealing the venom in her voice. “She’ll make sure nothing happens until I get back.”</p><p>The next thing she knew, Moon was left alone in the dim hallway, listening to the echoes of her daughter’s footfalls as she stormed out of sight. The former queen wasted no time; she took a deep breath and pushed open the door to Marco’s cell. The hallway’s dim light pooled into the nearly desolate room, illuminating a hunched, seated figure at the far end of the cell. The boy’s arms were spread wide and chained to the stone wall behind him, while his ankles were shackled together on the floor. His head was lowered between his bent knees.</p><p>“Marco?” Moon softly addressed his shadowed form. He showed no response to her words; his head remained bowed. The former queen could hear his ragged breaths echoing throughout the chamber. “Can you speak to me, Marco?”</p><p>A few more beats passed. Marco’s breathing suddenly evened out, and the boy slowly raised his head.</p><p>“Hello, Moon,” he coldly acknowledged. He looked at her with a detached, emotionless gaze, which was faintly illuminated by a glimmer of bright green.</p><p>The queen barely contained a gasp. Something about the way he said her name sent chills of terror coursing down her spine. It was said with disdain, as if her life held no meaning to him whatsoever. “Marco?” She asked hesitantly.</p><p>“What do you want?” He drawled patronizingly, clearly bored with her already. It was certainly Marco’s voice speaking to her, but Moon knew that his timbre and intonations sounded wholly unlike him.</p><p>“I should be asking you the same thing,” Moon replied shortly, officially convinced that there was no way the person in front of her was her daughter’s human companion. “I don’t know what you’ve done to Marco, but you—”</p><p>He rolled his eyes in a haughty manner. “Where is she, Moon?” The boy asked impatiently.</p><p>Moon felt her heart rate spike in fear. His mannerisms seemed too familiar. Sinister, even. <em>It couldn’t be… </em>“Who <em>are</em> you?” She asked.</p><p>Marco’s body suddenly went limp and slumped forward once more. A short moment later, the sound of chains sharply clashing rang throughout the dungeon as he began to thrash wildly in his constraints. Tears filled his panicked gaze, which was now no longer tinged with green. Moon couldn’t help but notice how confused the distraught young man before her looked, almost as if he had just woken up from a nightmare.</p><p>“Please don’t do this,” Marco sobbed. “I <em>need</em> her… <em>PLEASE!</em>  I-I can’t do it alone!”</p><p>“Marco?!” Moon exclaimed in shock. She felt like she had whiplash. “Do <em>what</em> alone? What ar—?”</p><p>“Please help me,” Marco whispered. “Please let me go…” His voice trailed off into whimpers.</p><p><em>He looks broken… </em>Moon thought. She was terrified. She hadn’t spent a particularly extended amount of time around the boy, what with him always running off with her daughter and their friends, but she knew that he wasn’t capable of <em>this</em>. She was glad that Star was out of the castle—and away from what she was about to do in order to regain her sovereignty—but Marco’s current state was the least expected thing that could have possibly happened at a time like this. She felt a pang of guilt at the thought of Mina’s forces approaching, awaiting her command. Moon considered her next move carefully. <em>Maybe I can call them off until I figure out how to help Marco.</em> She hoped that she could bide some more time until the sunrise, when the rooster would crow and Eclipsa’s reign would come to an end.</p><p>“Marco, love?” Another voice echoed from the doorway, as if on cue. Moon turned around just as the current queen of Mewni stepped into the room. Eclipsa was panting and clearly out of breath. She began to take a few cautious steps into the cell and towards the shackled and struggling boy, but Moon firmly grasped her arm to stop her.</p><p>“Just… Hold on,” Moon warned.</p><p>The queen looked noticeably distraught. “Oh my… What’s happened?” She asked worriedly. Much to Moon’s surprise, Marco calmed down and addressed Eclipsa with a hushed, tearful voice.</p><p>“I need to find her, Eclipsa,” he managed. “I need Star.”</p><p>“Oh, my poor boy,” Eclipsa cooed. Moon could tell that she was still fighting back the urge to go to him.</p><p>“You need to tell us what’s going on, Marco,” Moon pressed. “We can help you.”</p><p>The tearful boy merely let his head droop back down towards his knees. “No, no… It has to be Star,” he muttered without looking up. “My Star…”</p><p>Eclipsa blinked in surprise at Marco’s transparency, meanwhile Moon backed towards the door and gestured for her rival to follow. “Eclipsa,” she whispered. “I think there’s something—or someone—controlling him.”</p><p>Eclipsa looked at Marco with heartbreak and disbelief in her eyes. “You’re sure?”</p><p>“Positive,” Moon affirmed solemnly. “He seems to slip in and out of it, but his default state is hardly normal.” She paused and nodded over to Marco, who was visibly shaking. “Do you know anything about this type of magic?” She asked the shorter woman beside her. The last thing she wanted to do at the moment was work with Eclipsa, but she hardly had another choice. Moon had no idea what she was dealing with, and her earlier interaction with whoever was speaking through the boy had shaken her to her core.</p><p>“I can’t say that I know all that much,” Eclipsa responded quietly. She looked down at the ground. Moon let out a sigh and took a moment to consider their options.</p><p>“What if we do a Revealing Spell? Surely that would tell us what we’re dealing with,” Moon suggested.</p><p>“I don’t know…” Eclipsa hesitated. She seemed skeptical and unwilling. Moon wondered what she was hiding.</p><p>“Well, we have to do <em>something</em>, Eclipsa. We can’t just leave the poor boy like this.”</p><p>“I know, I know,” the current queen sighed. “No, you’re right. It’s worth a try, I suppose.”</p><p>The two Butterflies proceeded to walk towards the boy. Much to their dismay, Marco seemed to be muttering to himself, as if he were arguing with someone, and was clearly no longer aware of the other presences in the room. Eclipsa clasped Moon’s hand and hesitantly pointed her parasol-shaped wand at Marco, while Moon raised her right hand and opened her palm towards him. They began to chant in unison:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Reveal the truth the eye can't see,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Unweave the bond obscured from me.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Marco’s screams filled the dungeon. The room erupted in light as the women struggled to maintain the spell. Their attempts were met with resistance: a fierce red glow clearly fought to conceal whatever magic was locked inside the boy. A gust of force tore through the air as the crimson aura began to expand around Marco, attempting to shield him from the queens’ spell. Both women had to squint through the blinding light, and Eclipsa found herself making eye contact with Marco, whose large and panicked gaze was overflowing with tears, tears which trailed down the blood red crescents on his cheeks. <em>Oh no…</em> Eclipsa thought. Dread washed over her as she realized Moon was also seeing the illuminated marks on his cheeks.</p><p>“Wait! I think it’s hurting him, Moon!” Eclipsa called out over the boy’s screams and the eruption of magical energy.</p><p>“Just… A little… Longer. I can feel it starting to give,” Moon grunted. “Look!” She shouted as she eyed Marco’s chest.</p><p>Surely enough, the red magical glow surrounding Marco seemed to be gathering towards a point in the center of his chest. The light finally retracted down to its epicenter before it exploded out from Marco. It projected the image of a giant purple crescent moon, which gradually melted into a dark green colour, before retreating back into the boy’s chest and out of sight. Moon’s eyes were still adjusting to the sudden darkness, so she failed to see the residual glow of Marco’s red necktie. The object’s light was extinguished a short second later. Eclipsa eyed the object in shock, but quickly averted her gaze before the woman beside her could notice.</p><p>Marco’s shaking body shifted, and he glared up at Eclipsa and Moon with bright green, lifeless eyes. He let out a mirthless chuckle. “Nice try,” he challenged in a measured, low timbre.</p><p>Eclipsa gasped, witnessing the other presence inside Marco for the first time. “Oh! Wow. Now <em>that</em> is creepy,” she exclaimed. Moon rolled her eyes at Eclipsa’s curious, slightly impressed expression.</p><p>“It’s dark magic, isn’t it?” Moon asked reluctantly.</p><p>Eclipsa stayed quiet for a few beats. “...Yes,” she finally affirmed.</p><p>“Do you have any idea what this could be?”</p><p>“No. No idea at all, I’m afraid,” Eclipsa hesitated.</p><p>Moon saw fire. “You saw the moons on his cheeks… This has your magic written all over it, Eclipsa! Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t send Rhombulus over here right now to detain you,” she threatened.</p><p>Eclipsa shook her head and looked down at her beloved friend, who was currently chained to the dungeon wall. She took in his disheveled suit, sweat-drenched hair, and unfeeling, versicolor stare. He hardly resembled the teen she had grown fond of over last year or so. Marco was many things: cocky, confident, fiercely loyal, clumsy, awkward, foolish in love, brave, meticulous, and always guided by his heart. The person heaped on the ground below her, however, was purely menacing. Nevertheless, the state she saw him in when she had first entered the dungeon—while he was trembling and consumed by agony and longing—was clearly Marco, unlike whoever her and Moon were currently speaking to. She had seen it in his eyes. The way he looked at her when he said Star’s name was merely a heightened and more desperate version of the boy who had continuously sought her advice in matters of the heart over the past few months. Eclipsa fought the urge to reach out for him and hold him in her arms.</p><p>She may not have been fully ignorant as to what was going on within him—having been tipped off by Celena’s foreboding scroll—but she was furious that Moon thought that <em>she</em> was the driving force behind this. She could never put anyone through this much turmoil, let alone Marco. She did, however, know who was indeed capable of such evil. Although Moon was clearly in denial about what Marco’s cheek marks actually signified, Eclipsa knew that Moon wouldn’t be able to deny that the boy was currently portraying an uncanny likeness to someone she was all too familiar with.</p><p>Since she had been partially uncrystallized and consulted by a much younger Moon (after the murder of the girl’s mother), Eclipsa knew that there was only one being in existence that could truly threaten Moon the Undaunted. Star and Marco had told her all about their battles with the suit-clad Septarian. Eclipsa was no fool—she had no doubt that Toffee was somehow influencing Marco’s sinister behaviour. Moon, as she was wont to do, was merely deflecting the blame onto the most convenient person she could. Eclipsa was fed up with Moon’s willful ignorance.</p><p>“Don’t you <em>dare</em> pin this on me, Moon. I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my life, but I would <em>never</em> do anything to harm Marco,” Eclipsa vowed. “You know exactly who he reminds you of right now, you just don’t want to admit it.” A part of her sympathized with Moon; she could barely believe what she was seeing herself.</p><p>Moon’s furious expression morphed into one of shock. Tears began to pool under her lashes. Eclipsa watched as flickers of disbelief, fear, and hopelessness danced across Moon’s gaze.</p><p>Moon took a deep breath. “It’s curse magic, isn’t it? How else could he… Be <em>back? </em>” She asked cautiously, shooting nervous glances at the teen. Marco had his head lowered once more.</p><p>Eclipsa didn’t know what else to do other than tell the truth. She wouldn’t tell Moon of the boy’s role in Rhina’s prophecy—at least not yet—but she had to keep the blame away from her and her family in the meantime. She had no intention of sparking Moon’s wrath any further. “Yes, it would seem like it,” Eclipsa confirmed solemnly.</p><p>“Can we keep him here for the night?” Moon asked. Eclipsa nodded in response. “Good. I’ll secure the room with a Magic Repellent Spell from the outside.” Moon was clearly distraught, but she turned her back on the current queen and began to walk out of the room. “I need time to think this through,” her retreating form muttered.</p><p>“Moon?” Eclipsa called after her. The former queen stopped. “How were you planning on contacting the Magic High Commission?”</p><p>“What?” Moon blinked. She finally turned away from the door.</p><p>“You threatened to summon Rhombulus,” Eclipsa clarified. “Whereas <em>I’ve</em> been trying to get a hold of the High Commission for weeks. Is there something you’re not telling me?”</p><p>Moon’s shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly, but Eclipsa had all the confirmation she needed.</p><p>“No,” Moon replied. She turned and left the dungeon without another word. Moon didn’t trust Eclipsa, but she knew that she had to do everything in her power to protect her daughter from the possibility of Toffee’s return.</p><p>She had to get her kingdom back.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>It was just after midnight by the time the halls of the Monster Temple finally fell silent. Eclipsa, wanting to keep a close eye on the former queen, offered for Moon and River to stay the night and wait for Star to return, so that they could all decide what to do about Marco’s state. What Eclipsa didn’t realize was that Moon, too, was biding her time.</p><p>Eclipsa waited a few more hours until she was certain that everyone under her roof was asleep. Clad in her light pink pyjamas and matching headscarf, she slowly crawled out of bed, grabbed her wand, and descended the staircase to the dungeon. She was careful to remind herself not to use any magic that would set off the barrier Moon placed around Marco’s cell. So, upon reaching the door to his cell, she pulled out an old and rusted set of keys, inserted one into the lock, and swung the wooden door open. The creak of its worn-down hinges echoed throughout the dingy chamber. Eclipsa cautiously approached the boy.</p><p>“Marco, dear, just stay calm. It’s me,” Eclipsa whispered. She took a few more steps closer. The teen said nothing, but she could faintly make out his even breaths. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I’m going to let you out of here.” Eclipsa held her breath and stopped just a couple feet away from him.</p><p>“Ah, so you’re in on it, too?” He finally responded with his head still lowered. Eclipsa swallowed the dread that built up in her throat at the sound of his familiar, yet wholly unfamiliar voice.</p><p>“What do you mean?” She asked, guarded.</p><p>He lifted his head and Marco’s cold, green-tinged gaze landed on hers. “Don’t play coy. You saw the light show that happened earlier,” he explained, clearly referring to her and Moon’s attempt at the Revealing Spell. “You almost got us both into trouble,” Marco’s alter ego chided, clearly amused.</p><p>“Celena may have warned me about the prophecy, but she told me nothing of you. I will <em>not</em> be taking part in hurting Star nor Marco. I haven’t the slightest idea why you’re involved in this, but you should let them do this themselves,” Eclipsa warned, mustering all of her courage in doing so. In truth, she barely had a grasp on what was happening, and the danger Toffee’s return was putting them all in—especially the children—terrified her. She felt helpless, but she knew that aiding in fulfilling the prophecy would help bring this to an end as fast as possible. She merely prayed that no one would get hurt in the process.</p><p>Toffee stayed quiet for a few beats. “You lied to her,” he noted, and one of Marco’s brows slowly raised. “You said you didn’t know what was going on.”</p><p>She crossed her arms in defiance. “I don’t fully understand this type of curse. That wasn’t a lie, <em>Marco,</em>” Eclipsa spoke his name pointedly, making an effort not to address the other presence behind his words any further. The boy remained calm and composed. “But I know what he’s telling you to do. I also know that you <em>can</em> fight this. You can fulfill the prophecy without doing as he tells you, and no one else has to get hurt,” Eclipsa pleaded. She mostly believed what she was saying.</p><p>The light in Marco’s eyes suddenly faded from green to a barely visible red, clearly an aftereffect of a long night spent crying. Eclipsa felt relief wash over her. She crouched down before him and took his face in her hands. “Marco!” She quietly exclaimed.</p><p>“Eclipsa?!” Marco gasped. “I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean it! It was—”</p><p>“I know,” she quickly interjected. “I know. And it’s going to be okay.”</p><p>Marco let out a ragged breath. “I can’t make it stop,” he whispered. Eclipsa studied the boy’s hopeless, tearful expression.</p><p>“I know, sweetie. Shhh, it’s okay,” Eclipsa cooed as the threat of tears began to blur her vision.</p><p>“I just want to be with her,” Marco sobbed.</p><p>Eclipsa watched his erratic, desperate behaviour start to return. No matter how many times he had come to her to lament about his feelings for Star, he had never once sounded like this. <em>Is this a part of Celena’s curse, too?  </em>The queen wondered to herself.</p><p>“But h-he won’t let me until—”</p><p>“Until you what?” Eclipsa cut him off sharply. “Until you take the wand for yourself? Or will you just destroy us all along with it, Star included?” She accused him. Eclipsa assumed that whatever Celena did to the teen was making him act so irrationally toward both the wand and Star. What she didn’t trust was Toffee guiding the boy’s actions, clearly taking over whenever he saw fit.</p><p>“No!” Marco shouted fearfully. “I would never hurt her!” His voice sounded genuinely wounded. “And I promise that I don’t want the wand for myself,” he continued. The boy’s gaze landed on the umbrella at Eclipsa’s side and he took in a sharp intake of breath. Eclipsa watched as Marco winced at some unseen source of pain. “I just want this all to stop,” he whispered.</p><p>“You’ve heard the wand calling to you, no?” Eclipsa asked, curiosity getting the better of her as she pried in order to understand the effects of Celena’s magic. She could see that it was growing increasingly difficult for Marco to answer her, and she feared that she was running out of time to get answers.</p><p>Marco, on the other hand, was fighting a losing battle against the forces inside of his head. Star’s absence, Eclipsa’s presence, and Toffee’s insistence were all becoming too much for him to bear. He needed to get away from Eclipsa so that Toffee couldn’t scare her anymore; he needed the wand to end this; he needed to find Star.</p><p>Marco tried his best to explain himself. “Yeah, but he told me that I’m supposed to free her—all of us—from it. Magic does terrible things to people... It’s becoming corrupted,” he repeated the words he had heard echoing throughout his mind. The throbbing headache which had started at the base of his skull was threatening to consume him once more. <em>Wait, please! Just a little bit longer</em>… He begged. He could feel himself slipping.</p><p>“Yes, well… You may be right,” Eclipsa muttered. “Listen to me,” she asserted firmly. “You are going to hurt Star if you lose control again. You have one more chance to get this right. I’m afraid I don’t think I’m meant to interfere with this type of curse. But you… <em>You</em> can do this. I know you can.” Marco felt a glimmer of comfort at the feeling of her hand coming to rest along his cheek once more.</p><p>Marco knew that Moon and Eclipsa certainly had their issues, but Eclipsa’s connection to the former Butterfly queen’s daughter was unmistakable. He was grateful that someone knew the truth and was looking out for him and Star, despite the helplessness of the situation. Still, even through the pain of his aching skull, something just didn’t add up.</p><p>“Why do you want this, too? You’ll lose your magic,” Marco asked meekly; the headache caused by Toffee’s presence was becoming unendurable.</p><p>Eclipsa let out a trembling breath. “Well, I’m only telling you this because I trust you, and I’m hoping that you won’t care to remember much of our conversation once I let you out,” she admitted hesitantly, cringing slightly as she spoke. “But with the Magic gone, Moon’s power will be diminished, and then I can rule Mewni peacefully. It’s the only way I can ensure my family’s safety.” Eclipsa bowed her head in what Marco construed as shame.</p><p>Marco’s feelings of sympathy for her were beginning to fade away with each breath he took. He could feel Toffee growing impatient with him as the monster’s invasive presence in his mind began to sap all the energy Marco had left to give. Pulses of dark red and murky green began to cloud his vision, but he tried his best to push through the suffocating forces one more time.</p><p>“Thank you,” he whispered through the pain. “I hope you get what you’re after… You…” Marco struggled to pant out. “You deserve to be happy.” As soon as he forced the words out of his mouth, every emotion he felt for the woman before him was stripped away and overrun by thoughts of Star. His body could barely contain the urge to find her. He could hear his own heartbeat reverberating through his skull, and his vision started to cloud over with a mist of green. <em>No! PLEASE LET ME GO!  </em>He wanted to cry, to scream, but he knew that it was only a matter of moments before he was consumed by either Toffee’s voice or the red fire inside of him. The effects of Blood Moon curse screamed at him to <em>find Star</em>, but another voice drawled <em>get the wand</em> so forcefully that it overrode all of Marco’s functions.</p><p>Marco felt his shoulders slump and the headache vanish. His mind went silent.</p><p>“And I hope this is over soon,” Eclipsa whispered.</p><p>She saw the boy’s fight start to drain from his body as his shaking came to a halt. She continued to cup his cheek tenderly and felt wave upon wave of dread and anxiety crash down over her. She knew the effects of most types of curses: those consumed by them will let no one stand in the way of what they are compelled to do. Whatever Celena created—no matter how Toffee’s involvement altered it—was designed to bring the dealings of Fate to pass, no matter the collateral damage. Eclipsa held onto hope; she knew that this boy could fight.</p><p>Wasting no more time, Eclipsa grabbed the keys off the floor beside her and released the boy from his shackles. She started with the chain around his feet before setting his hands free, one by one. Once she was done, she returned to her kneeling position, studying the boy carefully. Eclipsa watched in horror as the final traces of self-control left Marco’s eyes, and his warm, brown gaze was replaced by a frightful green glow. Marco slowly raised himself up off of the ground in one deft motion. He took a moment to smooth out the front of his shirt, straighten his red necktie, and button up his black suit jacket. He reached out his right hand towards the queen, and Eclipsa wordlessly picked up the wand and handed it over to him. A flash of light lit up the room and quickly dissipated as the wand took on a different form. Marco’s green-stained stare fell upon the winged object in his hand.</p><p>“You Butterflies really are all the same. So selfish,” he intoned callously. Marco glanced down at the kneeling queen with an unreadable gaze. Eclipsa glared up at him. “I’m sure whatever is left of this dimension will be yours soon enough, Your Majesty.” Without another word, Marco calmly walked through the doorway and out of sight.</p><p>Eclipsa’s ragged, panicked breath was the only sound that echoed throughout the dark, frigid dungeon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*This chapter is named after the contents of the fortune cookie Star opens at the end of S1E08 “Fortune Cookies,” when Toffee is first introduced (you know, when he gives Star the fortune cookie which says: “Love is always the answer,” RIGHT after the Blood Moon Ball episode. I refuse to believe that Toffee didn’t know about the Blood Moon Curse. It’s fine, I’m fine).</p><p>*I like to think that neither Toffee nor Marco can dictate exactly when they slip in and out of command of Marco’s body. But when they want it badly enough, they can essentially override the other. In case anyone was wondering!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Corruption</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Star finds out the truth.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>*I hope you all don’t mind when I incorporate lines from the actual show into my dialogue. I absolutely love how organic the writing is, particularly throughout season 4, and sometimes I just can’t bear to try and do an alternate ending without using some of those amazing scenes. Unpopular opinion or not, I adore the fourth season. For example, the dialogue in S4E08 “The Curse of the Blood Moon,” is probably some of my favourite writing in the entire series. It’s just so natural and true to character that I almost feel like I’m peering into their lives via some kind of live reality show. </p><p>Anyway, I digress… I hope you all enjoy the chapter! Only two more left after this :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tom and Janna jumped at the sound of a portal tearing through the air. The pair were in the middle of a ping-pong game in Tom’s dark, fire-lit bedroom.</p><p>“Star?” Tom asked. He stared in bewilderment as the blonde girl used a silver pair of scissors to close the blue, shimmering portal behind her. “What are you...?”</p><p>“Hey Tom! Hey Janna, what’s go—Wait, <em>Janna?!</em>” Star exclaimed. “How did you get here from Earth again?!”</p><p>“Beats me,” Janna shrugged nonchalantly, then walked over to a black beanbag chair nearby and slumped into it without further explanation. Star shook her head in disbelief but decided to move past her friend’s strangeness.</p><p>“Hold up, Star. How did <em>you </em>get here?” Tom questioned as he walked into the middle of the room towards her. “How did you get a pair of scissors to work? No one has been able to open a portal for days!” He lamented.</p><p>“It’s, uhhhh, kind of a long story...” Star trailed off. <em>Not like I even understand any of this…</em> “Anyways, can we talk?” She pressed on.</p><p>Tom’s eyes widened. “Oh. Yeah, o-of course. Actually, I was kinda thinking that it’s probably about time we did, anyway.” He took a deep breath. “Janna, do you think you could give us a sec?” Tom asked as he turned away from Star and towards the human sprawled out on the bean bag chair between them.</p><p>“Nah, I’m cool,” Janna quipped, doing little to contain the mischievous glint in her eye. Tom groaned and pulled Star around the ping-pong table, distancing them from their shifty friend as much as possible.</p><p>“Wait, what do <em>you </em>wanna talk about?” Star asked.</p><p>“Y’know, <em>us</em>,” Tom shrugged. His gaze drifted down to his feet for just a moment. “Why, what did <em>you </em>wanna talk about?”</p><p>Star felt a sickening fire ignite in her, reminding her why she came to the Underworld in the first place. “Oh, I don’t know, Tom. Maybe it’s because, all thanks to you, I had to <em>literally </em>lock Marco up in the dungeon because some creepy Blood Moon is making him act totally bananas!” She screeched.</p><p>The room fell stiflingly silent. Tom blinked.</p><p>Star spoke again, though much quieter than before. “Why did you take me to that ball in the Underworld?”</p><p>“What? Why, uhhhh, w-why do you ask?” He blurted evasively.</p><p><em>“Tom...”</em> Star warned.</p><p>“Alright, okay! Yeah. I, uh, I guess we’re doing this.” Tom exhaled and looked down sullenly. “You mean the Blood Moon Ball, right?”</p><p>“Obviously!” Star exclaimed. “What on Mewni were you thinking?!”</p><p>“I was...” The demon glanced over at Janna. “I was thinking that our souls would be bound for all eternity...?”</p><p>“You <em>WHAT?!” </em>Star shrieked. “Tell me everything, right now.” </p><p>“Oh, this is gonna be awkward,” Janna snickered from her plush chair on the other side of the room. A wry smile shadowed her features.</p><p>“Not now, Janna!” Star and Tom barked in synchronization. The mewman rolled her eyes and quickly turned them back on Tom, who sighed in defeat.</p><p>“Well, first of all, it’s actually called the Blood Moon <em>curse</em>,” he explained morosely. “The curse chooses two souls to be eternally bound under the light of the Blood Moon. And I took you in hopes that it would choose us. But it didn’t... It-it chose you and Marco instead.”</p><p>Star could feel her stomach lurching from the shock. “Wait, so we’re cursed and you <em>knew</em> about it?!”</p><p>Tom held up his hands in defense. “Yeah, but I-I kind of thought you knew too...?”</p><p>“No, Tom. I didn’t know. How would I have known?!” Star hissed.</p><p>“Well, I thought it was pretty clear! I mean th-there was that guy that explained everything? The light, remember the light? It <em>chose</em> you.”</p><p>She threw her arms out to the side. “I thought that was a fun party light! I didn’t know it was cursed!”</p><p>“Really?!” Tom asked.</p><p>Tom’s disbelief only fueled Star’s anger. She began to pace around the room. “Tom, that is so creepy and invasive, you know that, right?!” She exclaimed, nearly tripping over Janna’s outstretched legs.</p><p>“I know, I know! I’m <em>so </em>sorry, Starship. I was an idiot back then. I meant to tell you guys...” He trailed off. “What can I do to make it up to you?”</p><p>Star suddenly stopped pacing and whipped around to face him. “How about... GET RID OF THIS CURSE!”</p><p>“Yeah. Right. About that, uh... There <em>is</em> a way, it just might be kinda tricky. And there’s a bit of a catch.”</p><p>“<em>Great</em>, and what’s that?” Star huffed in exasperation.</p><p>“My grandpa Relicor is the one who told me about the curse. He did it and... Well, he and my grandma had to give up the memory of the moment their souls were bound. He lost the moment they fell in love forever, and he can never get that back,” said Tom in a soft voice. Star could see true remorse in his eyes.</p><p>Star nodded in acceptance. “So, Marco and I will forget the ball? When our souls... When we...” She swallowed a lump building in her throat. “When we got cursed?”</p><p>“Just when you danced under the Blood Moon’s light, but yeah. Pretty much,” Tom confirmed quietly.</p><p>Star felt as though her chest was being torn in half. Sure, it would be sad to lose the memory of their dance, but that was nothing compared to how she felt about everything else that had happened between her and Marco since. Marco was her bestie; he was the first person she raced to see the moment she woke up, and—as much as it pained her to admit it—he was usually the last thing on her mind as she drifted off to sleep at night. Their friendship had become complicated, sure, but that didn’t change the fact that it had also become one of the most important relationships in her life. <em>So, it was all just a curse? And if we break it, does that mean that Marco won’t…?  </em>Star shook her head roughly to stop her mind from replaying what he had said to her out on the roof. </p><p>“Do you really want to do this?” Tom asked in a whisper, interrupting her inner turmoil.</p><p>“Uh, obviously!” Star quickly deflected. “You <em>cursed </em>us, Tom!”</p><p>“But... Are you sure you <em>want</em> this? You know you have feelings for Marco. <em>I </em>know you have feelings for Marco. I mean, where did you think that came from?”</p><p>Star’s entire face heated up with a deep red blush. “I-wuh-well, <em>itwasbecauseofthecurse!”</em> She stammered out hurriedly. She took a breath and composed herself. “Tom,” she sighed, “I don’t think you understand what this thing does to people. But... I think it’s hurting him.” Star’s fists clenched at her sides until they started to become sore.</p><p>“What?” Tom gaped. His trio of eyes widened in shock. “I’m <em>so</em> sorry, Starship. Relicor mentioned that the curse could get really… <em>intense</em> if those who are bound by it ever tried to resist it. Is Marco okay? Did something happen?”</p><p>Her mind flickered between images of Marco on her roof, bathed in red moonlight, and then to his sobbing screams from within the dungeon. She tried not to replay the way he had looked at her as he pulled her close out on the rooftop. She hardly knew how to explain the situation herself, let alone articulate it to her friends.</p><p>Star swallowed her fear and felt a wave of determination wash over her. “He’s not acting like himself anymore. It’s <em>really</em> freaky, guys. All I know is that we need to break this curse <em>right now</em>,” she proclaimed confidently.</p><p>“Yeah, but what if you didn’t?” Tom asked with a surprising amount of surety.</p><p>“<em>Whaaaaaaaaat?”</em>  Star and Janna whispered in unison.</p><p>“Well, I mean, it’s not so bad if you don’t resist it,” he explained. “So, if you both want this, then...” He shrugged, looking defeated.</p><p>“What?” Star balked. “What about <em>us</em>, Tom? Is this what you wanted to talk about earlier? Me and Marco?”</p><p>Tom shrugged and glanced down. “Well, not it’s not <em>completely</em> about you guys, but...”</p><p>“But what?” Star asked meekly. Tom’s sudden calmness made her stomach drop.</p><p>“Look, I know you’re worried about how the curse is affecting you two, and we can definitely try to figure that out if that’s really what you want. But with or without the curse, I can’t help but think that we should... That you and I... We...” He took a deep breath. “Well, I’ve been doing some soul searching lately. And I keep coming back to this feeling. I… I feel like we should see other people.”</p><p>Star felt like the floor was crumbling beneath her. “What are you saying?” She asked in shock.</p><p>Tom paused for a beat. “Star, I think we should break up,” he finally admitted.</p><p>“Wait, why?!” Star cried. “Okay, I know I’m not the best girlfriend but I’m definitely not the worst!” She wrapped her arms around her midsection, suddenly feeling small and vulnerable, a state she was hardly used to.</p><p>Tom took a step toward her. His eyes were filled with both sorrow and resolve. “Star, at the end of the day it’s not about what you do or what you don’t do, it’s about where you’re headed. And you and me… We’re headed for different places.”</p><p>The faint sound of crunching filled the room. Tom averted his gaze from Star’s and turned it towards the noise. Star’s eyes followed suit and flickered to the side, and she was met with the sight of Janna taking heaping handfuls from a bowl of popcorn which had suddenly appeared on her lap. She was clearly enthralled by the dramatic scene before her. Star glared down at the munching brunette, which finally made her wonder why exactly Janna was here in Tom’s room.</p><p>“Really? <em>You </em>two?!” Star groaned and gestured between her ex-boyfriend and former schoolmate. Janna’s crunching came to a halt and the air in the room suddenly felt dense. “We were on a <em>break</em>, Tom!” Star exclaimed, not really caring if Janna could hear her or not. She knew she was deflecting, but she couldn’t help her curiosity and slight feeling of betrayal.</p><p>“What? No!” Tom exclaimed. His gaze drifted back down to Janna for a moment. “Well, ugh, I don’t know. But that doesn’t matter right now. This is about <em>us</em>, Star,” he sighed.</p><p>Star didn’t miss the way Janna averted her gaze and stared down at her popcorn bowl in response to Tom’s words. <em>Ughhhhhh whatever… </em>She didn’t even have the capacity to care if Janna and Tom were actually a thing or not—not when it felt as though her world was in shambles.</p><p>“Okay. So, I guess that’s it, then?” She asked redundantly, fully knowing the answer she would receive.</p><p>“Well, I would still like to be friends with you, Star,” Tom shrugged with an earnest gaze. “I... I just feel like I should be dating someone who I could be <em>best </em>friends with. You already have one of those.”</p><p>Star couldn’t help the anger that bubbled up in her chest at his words. “Do you seriously think <em>Marco</em> is to blame for this? He’s under some creepy spell!” <em>That’s why he said what he did… That’s it. He doesn’t feel that way about me anymore, </em>she wanted to add, but couldn’t manage to voice those thoughts, not when they made her feel so disappointed. She hated that she felt disappointed. She assumed it was the curse that was making her feel so strongly.</p><p>“No,” Tom replied firmly. “I take full responsibility for not telling you guys about the Blood Moon sooner. But I don’t think anyone is to blame for this,” he gestured between the two of them. “And besides, I think we both know that what you two have is better than a curse.”</p><p>Star remained silent for a long while—long enough for Janna to resume eating, cleaning off the large bowl with a few final crunches.</p><p>“You deserve to be happy, Tom,” Star finally murmured. And despite the whirlwind of emotions thrashing around inside of her, she meant it wholeheartedly. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be what you needed.”</p><p>“Don’t be,” he smiled bittersweetly. “But I’m sorry too. For, y’know, everything.”</p><p>“Don’t be,” Star smiled sadly back. She didn’t have any fight left in her, at least not in regard to this. She absolutely hated giving up—hated standing down—but she knew that he was right, at least mostly so. Her and Tom were never that close, dating or otherwise. Sometimes they would go weeks at a time without seeing each other. At the end of the day, they simply weren’t <em>partners</em>. Star may have felt overwhelmed by the overall upheaval in her life over the past few hours, but one thing was clear: Tom deserved to find a partner. <em>Dang, boy, </em>she thought with a smile. <em>If he’s into Janna, his life is gonna get a whole lot weirder...</em></p><p>“Come <em>on</em>, no one’s even gonna throw anything?” Janna quipped from below them. The human proceeded to sigh, place the empty bowl floor beside her, and stand with her arms crossed. “Lame.”</p><p>Star gave her friend a teary chuckle, and Tom playfully sent a fiery ping-pong ball darting her way. Janna effortlessly pulled a paddle out of her skirt pocket and sent the miniature ball blazing back toward Tom.</p><p>“Nice try, dweeb,” she intoned dryly. “You know I don’t lose.”</p><p>Tom let out something between a groan and a terse laugh, and Star smiled as she wiped the tears from her eyes.</p><p>Tom nudged her shoulder with his own. “Hey, I know a lot is happening right now and I just want you to know that I’m here for you, okay? We don’t have to talk about this anymore. Let’s just focus on helping Marco.”</p><p>“Alright, I guess I’ll help, too. No need to beg,” Janna drawled, clasping her hands and stretching her arms above her head in preparation. “And if it’s curse magic we’re dealing with, then I’m definitely in.”</p><p>“Thanks, guys,” said Star gratefully.</p><p>“So, what’s the plan?” Asked Janna.</p><p>“Well, we’re gonna need to get Marco pretty far down into the Underworld,” Tom replied.</p><p>The mere mention of her best friend’s name sent dread coursing through her. Star couldn’t believe she had momentarily forgotten what state she had left Marco in. She could feel her adrenaline spiking at the thought of what he must be going through in her absence. It was as though she could still hear his pained cries through the dungeon door. In fact, the more she focused on the sensation, the more she felt a second weight in her chest, as if she could feel a second rhythm—another heart beating in tandem with hers. She was terrified to face him again, but she couldn’t stand to leave him locked up. She needed him back.</p><p>“Uhhh, Star? Your hands...” said Tom wearily.</p><p>“Huh?” Star asked. She raised her hands and inspected them—they were dripping with dark purple magic. The viscous substance oozed onto the floor, pooling around her feet.</p><p>“What the...?!” She exclaimed.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Tom asked in shock. He took a cautious step back from her, clearly feeling threatened.</p><p>“I-I wasn’t doing anything, I swear! I mean, I’m not gonna lie, I’m definitely a little upset right now, but this is... I don’t know <em>what</em> this is.” Star shuddered at the sight before her. Panic started to bubble in her chest as Star stared at the foreign magic. She spun away from her two friends to face the far wall of Tom’s room.</p><p>“NARWHAL BLAST!” Star shouted forcefully as she pointed her open palms towards the other side of the room. Three small, disfigured, purplish grey whales plopped onto the floor a few feet away from her. “No… <em>Nononono</em> what’s happening?!” Star exclaimed, beginning to hyperventilate and pace the room.</p><p>“Whoa, your magic is <em>messed</em>,” Janna noted dryly, but with piqued interest.</p><p>Star stared at her hands once again. She successfully willed the purple goo to recede, which did nothing to lessen her anxiety.</p><p>“Wait, Janna. Say that again,” Star quickly muttered, stopping her frantic pacing.</p><p>“What? I just said your magic is super janked up,” she shrugged. “Looks like dark magic to me.”</p><p>“Dark magic? Like… Like <em>Eclipsa</em> kind of dark magic?”</p><p>Janna shrugged and remained silent, clearly at a loss.</p><p>“Wait, how do you know that?” Tom asked the human skeptically.</p><p>Janna merely gave him a sly smile in return. “Wouldn’t you like to know, demon boy?”</p><p>Star sighed, but continued speaking before Janna could respond further. “There must be something up with the Magic…” She mused. “I have to go.”</p><p>“What? Where?” Tom asked.</p><p>“To the Magic dimension. It’s where I get my powers from,” Star explained hurriedly as she transformed into her butterfly form.</p><p>“Hold up,” interjected Janna. “Don’t you go all weird and lose your memory when you go there?”</p><p>Star was confused for a moment as to how Janna would know that, but she remembered that Janna had been with Marco the first time she went to the Magic, back when he had somehow used the All-Seeing Eye spell to find her; back when the sight of his face and the sound of his voice saved her, against all odds.</p><p>“Yeah, but what choice do I have?” Star asked. She grasped her mother’s scissors and opened a golden portal. “Unless you have any better ideas, I’m going in. <em>Alone</em>,” she proclaimed solemnly.</p><p>“Star, wait. This sounds dangerous,” said Tom. “Don’t you think we sh—”</p><p>He was cut off by the sound of metallic rattling splicing through the room. Star and Tom stared dumbfoundedly at Janna, who was currently cradling a heap of chains in her arms.</p><p>“Why don’t we use this?” Suggested Janna. A few beats of silence passed. “What?”</p><p>“Where did you even get those?!” Tom asked in confusion, looking both weirded out and slightly impressed.</p><p>“Janna-Banana, you’re a total genius!” Star exclaimed gleefully.</p><p>“Duh,” Star’s human friend shrugged.</p><p>Tom, meanwhile, let out a long sigh. “I don’t get it. How is this gonna solve anything…?” He asked reluctantly.</p><p>“Easy,” said Star with her six hands resting on her hips. “You two hold one end, and I’ll have the other wrapped around me. When I go in…” She hesitated. “Give me ten minutes. Then you guys pull me out, ‘kay?” She decided not to tell her friends about how her and Marco had tried a similar tactic before, with little success.</p><p>“Got it,” Janna nodded.</p><p>“Yeah, ‘easy,’” muttered Tom. “Just be careful. <em>Please</em>.”</p><p>“Definitely,” said Star. “I just… I have to <em>know</em>, y’know?”</p><p>Without another word between them, Star and Janna tightly secured the chain around her waist as Tom collected the other end of the line. Star gave her friends a single nod before stepping through the golden portal and out of the Underworld.</p><p>A bright flash of light suddenly blinded her, and Star floated in place where the portal had opened in midair. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the golden glare before her. Eventually, she could make out aspects of the Magic’s resplendent scenery: cascades of shimmering, mellifluent light flowed through the tranquil landscape below.</p><p>“First Born!” Star called out into the glittering oasis. The Butterfly set off soaring over the halcyon streams, frantically searching the land for any sign of life. The chains around her waist remained firmly secured. “First Born! Where <em>are</em> you?! <em>Please</em>, I need your help!”</p><p>As she flew, Star tried to recall the hazy memories from the last time she was here, when she tried to retrieve her mother after her fight with Meteora. She remembered how pristine the Magic initially looked when she had arrived, as if Toffee were never there. The more her memories began to trickle back, however, she saw flashes of her and her mother bathing in streams of both gold and purple. She remembered ascending through wells and popping up into new places, even leaving two sets of purple-stained handprints at the top of one of the wells. And, sure enough, the scene below her began to mirror her memories; Star saw streaks of dark purple staining various sections of the golden liquid below. She paused midflight and surveyed the eerie scene. Suddenly, an opaline unicorn burst forth from the depths of the murky, purple magic.</p><p>“First Born!” Star called out, fluttering down and landing in the shallow, half-golden liquid. “What happened? Where did all this come from?” She gestured to the dark fluid surrounding most of the area around them.</p><p>The unicorn was gasping for air and lifting herself out of the viscous depths as she eyed the magical girl landing before her.</p><p>“No… You need to go,” the unicorn choked out. “The last time you were here you created a <em>major</em> problem for me.”*</p><p>“What are you talking about?” Star asked wearily. “You mean… When my mom and I were here?”</p><p>“Yes,” groaned First Born impatiently. “Now <em>go</em>.”</p><p>“<em>No</em>,” Star said firmly. “Tell me what’s happening. What <em>is</em> this?” She asked, gesturing to the darkened patches of magic.</p><p>First Born let out a terse sigh. “It’s dark magic which this dimension has not seen for many years. The wand has been corrupted, and now I have <em>this</em> to deal with,” the unicorn explained as she looked around at the pools of darkness cascading around them.</p><p>“Wait, it’s being corrupted <em>again?!”</em> Star shrieked. “But-but it’s purple. It’s not Toffee…Is it?”</p><p>“No, not Toffee.”</p><p><em>This isn’t making any sense. Unless… </em>“My mom and I weren’t even here for that long... So what’s doing this?”</p><p>“Corruption and hate destroy,” First Born answered cryptically.</p><p>Star’s mind attempted to grasp what that could possibly mean. She tried to imagine the hate that drove her mom to go to Eclipsa after Toffee had murdered Star’s grandmother, which then led Moon to use a terrible form of dark magic to attempt to destroy Toffee himself. She then recalled the purple and black streaks which were burned into her mother and Eclipsa’s arms forevermore; how the fight between her mom, Eclipsa, and Meteora had sent Moon fleeing into the Magic. Star knew that Eclipsa used magic selfishly when she couldn’t live the life she wanted; Meteora had used it to consume the life force of others for her own gain for centuries; Toffee, who planted the seeds of hatred in her mother, murdered and left nothing in his path—all for his own righteous agenda. Even Star herself had had her fair share of abusing her magical abilities foolishly and ignorantly. Yet, on top of all this, First Born was claiming that something else entirely was corrupting the Magic now, too.</p><p>“So, my mom’s vengeance started to corrupt the Magic,” Star began shakily. “And Toffee weakened it when he was here. Then, when Meteora attacked my mom and she fled here—and when Eclipsa got in the way—the mix of the three of them fighting... It’s all just corruption and hate. That’s all we do, isn’t it?” She asked hopelessly. A spark of rage ignited within her and pierced through the shame.</p><p>“And now another seeks our destruction,” said First Born. The unicorn turned her majestic head to the side, and Star followed her gaze.</p><p>Off in the distance, the corrupted, purple magic began to rise and coagulate above the surface. The purple mass slowly oozed upward and eventually morphed into the shape of a person. Star gasped and took a handful of trepid steps toward the dark mass.</p><p>“What is—?” Star’s words halted in her throat as the figure finished manifesting and turned toward her. She found herself standing face to face with a violet outline of a boy; he had a sideswept hairline and was clad in a suit. The form held its purple, liquified hand out and an item materialized from the dark goo in its palm: it was a wand, with a spike at the top and flanked by a pair of wings. Star’s heart slammed against her chest as a wave of familiarity washed over her. The purple form stared at her with a gaping mouth and searing white orbs where its eyes should have been.</p><p>“Wait… <em>Marco?!”</em> She exclaimed, stumbling backward from the force of the realization and away from the horrendous doppelganger ahead of her.</p><p>The eerie look-alike took two quavering steps toward her and struggled to raise its shuddering, wand-bearing hand. Before it could close the distance between them, however, the center of its mass was suddenly impaled from behind by First Born’s horn. The nightmarish figure began to convulse. It clutched at the gaping hole in its abdomen and lurched to the side before melting back into the violet pools below and out of existence.</p><p>“What <em>was</em> that?!” Star gasped, trying to steady her trembling knees. The unicorn merely set its white-hot gaze upon her, wordless. <em>It had the wand</em>, Star mused. <em>Does that mean…? Oh no. </em>Star ran over to a patch of golden magic which remained untouched by the corrupting purple. She knelt down and plunged her hands into it, harnessing its power, and then shot a surge of black and purple light into the air ahead of her. She anxiously watched as a scene played out before her. The All-Seeing Eye spell revealed a sight that made the acid in her stomach churn: Marco, with eyes glowing a haunting green, was calmly walking through the Monster Temple’s desolate halls. His black suit jacket was primly done up once again, and he glanced around the surrounding darkness with no emotion in his eyes. He clutched a green, winged wand tightly in his hand.</p><p>Marco had escaped from his cell, and he was looking for something. <em>He’s looking for me.</em></p><p>“Oh no,” Star whispered from her kneeling position. “This is bad, this is really, <em>really</em> bad.” Her mind was desperately trying to grasp the situation at hand. <em>Marco has the wand, and First Born said that whoever has it is making this freaky corruption worse… </em>“But I don’t understand! Marco would never do this!” She cried. As she spoke, purple magic began to seep into the golden liquid around her knees until the pool below her was nearly unrecognizable.</p><p>“The boy seeks destruction. That’s all I know,” the unicorn admitted tersely.</p><p>“What? Wait, do you mean… I-Is he trying to destroy the Magic?! Why?!” Star asked desperately. She knew that Marco would never do something so terrible, and that something had to be influencing him. Yet she was certain that his true self was still somewhere inside of him, still being affected by the Blood Moon’s sway. Still drawing him to her. <em>It just doesn’t add up. The Blood Moon wouldn’t make him do this…</em> “Who else is controlling him?” She muttered to herself.</p><p>Star glanced at the scene being broadcasted by the spell once more. For the second time that night, she found herself thinking about how Marco’s formal attire seemed strangely foreign to her. <em>But he hates looking like a lawyer...</em>  she mused. The idea, however, slipped out of her mind shortly after it had entered it as her train of thought started to become less and less tangible. Star blinked a few times in succession, but a kaleidoscope of shimmering lights began to appear at the edges of her vision. She was finding it increasingly difficult to think coherently.</p><p>“You can stay with us,” a voice squeaked from below her. Star looked down to find a small grouping of young unicorns standing at her feet in the Magic’s waters.</p><p>“Yeah, you’ll be much happier here!” A second one added cheerfully.</p><p>Star’s suddenly hazy and permeable mind was comforted by the suggestion. “I-I will?” She asked with a wide, glassy stare.</p><p>Suddenly, a towering purple unicorn tore through the Magic’s shimmering surface ahead of Star and barreled into First Born, dragging the elder unicorn under and out of sight. A wavering ripple settled over the purple swell, and the Magic’s versicolour landscape fell quiet once more.</p><p>“<em>Awww</em>, was that your friend?” Star asked the smaller animals, blissfully unaware of the threat at hand.</p><p>A short beat later, the ivory unicorn burst back out of the dark depths. “You must go, <em>now! </em>” She choked out, struggling to keep afloat. Her glowing eyes were wide with panic. “It’s not safe for you here anymore! You must leave… I’m sorry.”</p><p>Star watched with confused yet rapt attention as the creature’s horn began to glow with a bright blue light. Yet before she could see what the animal was about to do, a heavy weight around her midsection tightened, and Star was dragged backwards and up into the air. She watched in blank confusion as the animals below her began to disappear into the purple depths one by one. Her surroundings continued to blur as she soared through the sky, and the last thing she saw before her vision erupted with the portal’s bright blue light was a once-golden world being consumed by darkness.</p><p>Star let out an <em>oof</em> as she felt her backside connect with the floor. Her thick, blonde hair flopped into her face as she slowly sat up. As she parted her tresses, the faint yet warm firelight of Tom’s room began to come into focus.</p><p>“Thanks, Tom,” she groaned out gratefully, albeit slightly disoriented. The portal closed with a resounding hum. “Good timing.”</p><p>“So, what happened?” Tom asked, dropping the chain and rushing over to the fallen mewman, helping her to her feet.</p><p>Star dragged a hand down her face and let out a ragged breath. “The Magic is corrupted.”</p><p>“Whoa, what?” Asked Janna with an uncharacteristically shocked expression. “Like… <em>All</em> of it?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Star replied sullenly. “And honestly, I don’t know how to fix it this time. Also uh, Marco is… I think Marco has the wand. And he may or may not <em>definitely</em> be a part of the problem,” she added awkwardly. </p><p>“What?! <em>Marco</em> is doing this?” Exclaimed Tom in distress.</p><p>“Well, not exactly. I mean, yes... Kind of,” said Star unsurely. She had a feeling that someone was forcing him to do whatever he was doing, after all. She just didn’t quite have that part figured out yet. But she also knew that Marco was only a fraction of the issue at hand. “But this is so much bigger than us. We have to stop it.”</p><p>“Stop what?” Tom asked quietly.</p><p>Star didn’t know how to answer that question. Magic was complicated. It could do wondrous and powerful things, but it could also bring out the worst in people. It caused so many problems for her family. It led people—herself, and apparently even Marco included—to make reckless and ignorant choices, which usually resulted in hurting others. Monsters were easily the worst off, too. It broke Star’s heart every single day to see how much hate and discrimination ran rampant in Mewni. It made her sick to her stomach to think about the lengths that the Magic High Commission would go to so that they could put down anyone who tried to side with monsters. The truth was that monsters had been under threat from the moment mewmans came and unfairly unleashed their magic on Mewni, no matter what her history books had tried to teach her. And now Marco was in danger.</p><p><em>I can’t stop it… How do I fix this?!</em>  She wondered hopelessly.</p><p>She had been trying in vain for the better part of a year to unite mewmans and monsters, but greed and corruption and hate continued to prevail among them. And now, to top things off, her own mother was involved in something ominous that Star didn’t even have the time to question.  She had no idea what to do. She was fed up. She had had enough of trying to fight a battle that had been raging between monsters and mewmans long before her lifetime. She hated what her world had come to. She hated what the Magic was doing to the people she loved the most.</p><p>“Magic did this… And I don’t know how, but I’m gonna figure out how to make sure none of this can happen to anyone ever again,” Star vowed angrily. <em>The question is… How do I stop all of this at its source?</em></p><p>“So, what do we do about Marco?” Janna asked. A faint tone of worry settled into her voice.</p><p>Star squared her shoulders and faced her friends. “I’m going back to the Monster Temple to find him. He got out of his cell, but I’m pretty sure he’s still there, looking for me. And when I find him, I’m gonna break this stupid curse. Then he and I are gonna figure out how to fix… Well, everything. I’m not doing it without him. The <em>real</em> him.” She paused for a moment to think. “Tom, you said that there was a way to break the curse, right?” Star asked.</p><p>Tom nodded slowly. “Yeah, we need to use the Severing Stone. But it’s pretty deep down here in the Underworld.”</p><p>“Perfect,” said Star, radiating a level of confidence that she wasn’t sure she even had at the moment.</p><p>“But, like, aren’t we gonna have to get him down here?” Asked Janna skeptically.</p><p>“Yep, so I’m gonna need your guys’ help. I think I can get through to him… He’ll listen to me,” said Star. She <em>really</em> hoped that she was right. Star felt a warm hand rest on her shoulder and turned to see Tom’s determined gaze boring into hers.</p><p>“So, how do we get to Marco?” He asked.</p><p>As risky and probably doomed as it was, Star had a plan.</p><hr/><p>The sound of her mother’s cold, stern voice echoed throughout the Monster Temple’s stone-walled throne room the moment Star stepped out of the portal. The rose-coloured light of early dawn was flooding the castle with a faint glow. Star watched helplessly as her mother had both palms out and pointing toward Eclipsa, who stood across from her with the infantile Meteora strapped to her chest. The queen was unarmed and completely defenseless. Moon’s hands were glowing with a flurry of silver and blue light, but Star could see a slight tinge of purple at its fringes. It matched the dark black and purple veins searing up her mother’s arms.</p><p>“Don’t you dare come any closer! You let him out, didn’t you?!” Moon boomed accusingly.</p><p>“Moon, <em>please!</em> It isn’t what you think!” Eclipsa pleaded, taking a step away from her. Her back made impact with the stone wall behind her, and the queen was trapped in place. She wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter, who let out a threatening hiss.</p><p>Star sprung into action “Mom, stop!” She shouted as she rushed forward, placing herself between the two women. She pulled her mother a few steps away from the other two. “What’s going on?!”</p><p>“Star, stand back,” Moon commanded. “Where is the wand, Eclipsa? Where’s Marco?”</p><p>The queen glanced at Star with a remorseful expression. “I’m so sorry, Star. But it was my role to play in all of this. Please try to understand—”</p><p>“Enough,” Moon barked. “The Magic High Commission should be on their way soon. Eclipsa, for the last time, <em>stand down</em>.”</p><p>“<em>Mom! </em>” Star screeched. She was confused, angry, and terrified. <em>What did Eclipsa mean?!</em>  She remembered the image she had seen of Marco through the All-Seeing Eye: he had the wand and was probably still somewhere in the Monster Temple. Star realized what Eclipsa was apologizing for.</p><p>
  <em>She must have let Marco out and given him the wand…</em>
</p><p>“I’m here to offer you a deal: surrender the crown to me. In return, I’ll call off Mina and my Solarian Warriors,” said Moon with an air of finality.</p><p>Eclipsa’s eyes widened in shock, but only for a mere moment. She squared her shoulders and took a step forward. “I stand by my choices, Moon,” she said solemnly. “I know I’m not a perfect ruler, but you will <em>not</em> have my throne. You are no longer the rightful queen. You never were.”</p><p>Moon looked positively livid. “You’ve endangered this <em>entire</em> dimension by giving away the wand! You’re reckless and untrustworthy, and you don’t deserve your power!”</p><p>“Really? <em>I’m</em> untrustworthy? Do you want to tell your daughter what you did, or should I?” Eclipsa asked with fire in her eyes.</p><p>“Mom... What did you do?” Star said. Her voice was low and breathless.</p><p>“Star, I… Well—”</p><p>“It’s Mina,” Eclipsa interjected with a voice like venom. “She and your mother have revived the Solarian Warriors, a nearly indestructible army my mother, Queen Solaria, created to annihilate monsterkind.”</p><p>“What?! Are you <em>kidding</em> me?!” Star shouted. She could feel the electric current of magic and fury igniting each cell in her body.</p><p>Moon seemed to shrink back from her daughter’s glare, but she held her ground nonetheless. “I’m sorry, Star, but this had to be done.”</p><p>“No… NO!” Star daughter bellowed back. Everything had been taken from her the mere span of a few hours. Her and Tom had broken up, Marco was cursed, the Magic was deteriorating, her mother had betrayed her, monsters were in peril, and now Eclipsa was about to lose everything Star had fought to build alongside her. Star wasn’t going to let this happen, not without a fight.</p><p>“Star, I know it must seem crazy that Mina is working for me, but let me explain—” Moon continued calmly.</p><p>“YOU TRAITOR!” Star screamed.</p><p>In the blink of an eye, Star was in her butterfly form and sending a hurricane of spells directly toward her mother. Moon was shocked into stillness for a mere moment, but quickly transformed. She soared into the air and began to block Star’s attacks with a few defensive spells of her own.</p><p>“Star, please! Stop this!” Moon shouted over the roar of the magical blasts.</p><p>Suddenly, Star watched her mother’s butterfly form begin to falter and fade. Her wings blinked out of existence as she transformed back in midair, and Moon began to plummet toward the floor.</p><p>“MOON!” Eclipsa shouted.</p><p>“MOM!” Star screamed. She soared downward and extended all six of her arms, catching her mother a mere few inches above the stone floor. “Are you okay?!”</p><p>“What in the world?” Moon gasped. “My magic… Something’s wrong.”</p><p>“It’s the Magic dimension,” Star explained, placing her mother back on her feet and returning to her usual form. “Something is corrupting it again.”</p><p>“What? What do you mean?” Moon asked with a panicked voice.</p><p>Star merely glared at her mother in response. She knew her anger would get the best of her if she tried to explain what was happening, including just how much Moon’s actions had worsened the situation. Her mother was selfish and deceitful, and her distrust of Eclipsa and want for power was putting them all, especially monsters, in danger.</p><p>Star turned to Eclipsa instead. “How do we stop Mina?”</p><p>“I’m afraid we don’t,” Eclipsa replied solemnly. “No spell will be powerful enough, not with the Magic so weakened. The warriors may be fueled by our magic, but they’re also driven by hate. They’re too powerful. I suppose, perhaps, if there were no magic whatsoever…” Eclipsa trailed off. She looked as though she was realizing something. Her face paled visibly.</p><p>“So, we can’t stop Mina unless we stop the Magic?” Star asked in shock. She whipped around to face Moon once again, no longer caring if her anger got the better of her. “I can’t <em>believe</em> you! Actually, you know what, I can. I <em>absolutely</em> believe that you would do this!”</p><p>“Star, please… You must understand—”</p><p>“Stop,” she interjected grimly. “How long do we have until Mina and her warriors arrive?”</p><p>Moon hesitated, but eventually responded. “We are giving Eclipsa until the cockerel crows at sunrise,” Moon answered. She looked so sure of herself, and Star just wanted to scream. She needed time to think—time she didn’t have at the moment, not while Marco was loose and searching for her. The room fell silent.</p><p>“What did I miss?” A smooth voice suddenly intoned nonchalantly. Star nearly jumped out of her skin as Glossarycks’ miniature, blue form manifested beside her head.</p><p>“Glossaryck?!” Star gasped. “Wait, Glossaryck!” She exclaimed, wrapping both of her hands around his midsection and snatching him out of midair. “I need to know what’s happening to Marco. Is he doing this to the Magic?”</p><p>The magical being took a calculated pause before answering. “Hmmm… Yes and no,” he finally responded with a shrug. Star rolled her eyes. She felt the exhaustion of a sleepless night weighing heavily upon her. She sighed and turned away from her former mentor, knowing fully well that she wasn’t going to get any further information out of him until she came up with a more specific question to ask. She turned to the two elder mewmans.</p><p>“Okay. What happened while I was gone? Did you find out anything before Marco got out?” Star asked.</p><p>Moon and Eclipsa exchanged an anxious look.</p><p>“Well…” Eclipsa hesitated. “We don’t fully know how, but it appears that this is Toffee’s doing. He may be the one controlling him.”</p><p>“TOFFEE?!” Star exclaimed in horror. “B-but he’s gone! I killed him!”</p><p>Moon let out a low sigh. “I didn’t want to believe it either but... But it’s true. The way he spoke to me…” Star watched her mother visibly swallow both her pride and greatest fear at once. “Eclipsa’s right. It’s him.”</p><p>“But <em>how? </em>” Star asked in dismay.</p><p>“He must have pulled off a <em>very</em> powerful curse, since he managed to retain a part of his soul after you somewhat destroyed him,” said Eclipsa. “But I’ve never seen it done before…” She marveled softly.</p><p>“How did Toffee learn curse magic? How can he even <em>do</em> curse magic?” Star asked in disbelief.</p><p>Things were somehow even more complicated than she could have possibly imagined. Once again, Toffee was trying to take everything away from her. He killed her grandmother, Comet, before she ever had the chance to meet her. Not to mention that he had already tried to kill Marco once.  She couldn’t imagine the pain Marco was in being controlled by him. Star felt a rush of determination—she would never let Toffee succeed, and she was prepared to die trying. <em>But how would Toffee have known about this type of magic?  </em>She repeated to herself internally. She remembered back to when he had kidnapped Marco and instructed her to destroy the wand, and how he had known about the Whispering Spell, somehow. <em>He had to have some kind of access to that information.</em> Star’s searching eyes drifted over to Glossaryck, who had weaseled his way out of her grasp and was now lounging in the air beside her, looking unfazed by the situation at hand. In fact, he seemed eerily calm. <em>Toffee had the book when he was controlling Ludo. That means he would have had Glossaryck too…</em></p><p>“Glossaryck, what did you do?” Star asked with a low, menacing timbre.</p><p>“Toffee was... Tipped off, so to speak,” he explained placidly.</p><p>“By you,” Star whispered in disbelief.</p><p>“No, long before he had his hands on the book, I’m afraid,” he said while plopping a huge spoonful of pudding onto his tongue. He held the container out to Star in offering, and she swatted it away. He shrugged and took back the viscous snack. “Alright, then. Let me know if you change your mind. I find it always helps me think,” he murmured, plunging his spoon back into the pudding and continuing to eat.</p><p>“It’s true, then. Celena helped Toffee,” Eclipsa whispered. Star saw the queen’s shoulders slump and her gaze go distant in thought. “She cursed him.”</p><p>“Celena?! Eclipsa, what are you talking about?” Moon asked in surprise.</p><p>Eclipsa pointedly turned away from her rival and towards the younger Butterfly. “Star, have you ever seen the marks on his cheeks? The ones he gets whenever he uses the wand?”</p><p>Star’s eyes went wide in confusion, but her silence pressed Eclipsa to continue. “You know, the cute little red crescent—”</p><p>“Moons…” Star gasped in realization. Her memory took her back to the only time Marco had used the wand, back when he had saved her from the Magic. She had only seen them for a few short moments before the All-Seeing Eye spell imploded, but they had been there, sure enough. “Whoa… Oh my gosh, I <em>totally</em> have. You’re right, they’re just like hers!”</p><p>Star looked over to Moon in shock. The former queen was wide-eyed and silent. Her mother probably had no idea that Marco had ever wielded the wand, let alone had the magical abilities necessary to use it.</p><p>“It would appear that Marco may have her powers,” confirmed Eclipsa in a somber voice.  </p><p>Star’s eyes were stinging with fear and anger and betrayal. “But why would Grandma Shy do this?!” She exclaimed.</p><p>“It’s Rhina’s prophecy,” Moon muttered, seeming to be coming to an understanding as she spoke. She cleared her throat and raised her voice to continue. “My mother once told me that Celena spent her whole life trying to decode Rhina’s riddles, but there was one she didn’t figure out before she died. The one on Rhina’s inscription.”</p><p>“Huh? Wait, what’s Rhina’s inscription again?” Star asked, trying to keep up with the barrage of new information.</p><p>“Ugh, <em>Star</em>,” Moon groaned.  “You really didn’t read the book, did you?” She took a breath and began to recite from memory. “‘Seven came before Rhina (if you subtract the boy), add four more reigns to her domain and then what gets destroyed?’”</p><p>“It’s the Magic. The Magic gets destroyed...” Star whispered. It all added up: everything she had just experienced in the Magic, Celena cursing Marco over a century ago, Toffee coming after her and her family… <em>Everything</em> had been leading up to this moment.</p><p>“So... It was predetermined that Marco would be Toffee and Celena’s conduit? Celena really did this?” Moon asked, her eyes wide in understanding. She slowly turned to Eclipsa. “And you knew. You let him out and gave him the wand because you knew this was going to happen, didn’t you?” She accused, becoming angrier by the second.</p><p>“It’s… complicated, Moon. I’m still trying to figure it out, too. I wanted to stop it, but I knew that all of this was inevitable,” she explained quietly with a downcast gaze. She glanced up at Star. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.</p><p>In a few mere hours, Star’s heart had been broken in more ways than she thought was possible. She took deep breaths in an effort to calm down. <em>I can’t freak out right now… I need to figure out what to do. I need to—</em></p><p>“Glossaryck, how could you let this happen?” Moon reprimanded. “If you had done something, <em>anything</em>, Celena wouldn’t have been able to curse us all!”</p><p>“A curse, a prophecy, Fate—call it whatever you like,” Glossaryck smoothly spoke. “Celena’s magic may have bound Toffee and Marco through a curse, but Toffee himself was just a means to an end. And so is the boy.”</p><p>“You can’t just <em>use</em> Marco like this!” Star cried through a faint stream of tears flowing down her cheeks. “Can’t you see that it’s hurting him?!” She turned her back on the traitorous being.</p><p>Star decided not to mention the issue of the <em>other</em> curse, the one that had bound her and Marco’s souls. She may have had an idea what to do about that issue, but she would have to think on her feet in order to figure out what she was going to do about the Magic.</p><p>“But the Magic... We can’t stop this from happening, can we?” Choked out Moon, dropping to her knees in defeat. Star stared at her once noble mother in disbelief, looking at what hatred, distrust, and a hunger for power had done to her.</p><p>“No, I’m afraid not,” answered Eclipsa. “It’s been decided. It’s out of our hands.” Her hand reassuringly wrapped around Meteora once more, who cooed sadly, sensing her mother’s emotions.</p><p>Star had spent most of her relationship with the current queen trying not to judge her for her choices. Her mother and Eclipsa each underwent tragedy, but let vengeance and selfishness guide them. For two people who claimed to be rulers, they seemed to completely forget the needs of their people in place of their own views: Moon’s disdain for monsters, and Eclipsa’s disregard for mewmans. Star would be different; she always had been different. She would face her dysfunctional family’s issues head on and let her heart guide her. For Marco. For all of them.</p><p>“Maybe the High Commission can come up with something...” Moon rambled from the floor. “Where <em>are</em> they?!”</p><p>“Oh, far away from here,” said Glossaryck as he floated between the four Butterflies. “Besides, do you really think they’re going to assist you in killing them?”</p><p>“<em>Killing</em> them?” Star asked in bewilderment. She hadn’t considered what would happen to the High Commission once Rhina’s prophecy came to pass. <em>That means that destroying the magic would</em>... “Glossaryck, won’t it destroy you, too?” She asked. She wondered what was going to happen to her and Marco, too.</p><p>“A good captain always goes down with his ship,” Glossaryck shrugged with a calm, yet bittersweet air of finality, shooting Star an almost imperceptible nod.</p><p>Star knew the feeling. She knew that whatever she was going to do could very well end in disaster, at least for her. Star heard a quiet sob come from her mother, who remained kneeling on the stone floor with a wide, teary stare. Something had finally broken Moon the Undaunted.</p><p>“So, my temper tantrum was right all along,” Star murmured aloud to herself. “I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna destroy the Magic.” <em>But I’m not doing this without Marco… </em>“Eclipsa, how do we get rid of Toffee’s influence over him? How do I break the curse?” She asked the queen hurriedly.</p><p>“If this is what I think it is, then Toffee and Celena would have had to curse an object and ensure it got to Marco over a hundred years later,” Eclipsa explained unsurely.</p><p><em>Okay, so what could it be?</em>  Star thought to herself. <em>It would have to be something he’s had on him since that night on the roof—that’s when he started to act differently.</em> He hadn’t had anything on him, at least that she could see. Even so, he had looked eerily off that night, even before she noticed the foreign green lights behind his eyes. She thought about his overall appearance, and how she had teased him for looking so formal. Then, a hazy thought she had while in the Magic a short while prior slipped into her mind, about how Marco hated lawyers, let alone looking like one. A lightbulb switched on in Star’s head.</p><p>“Where did he get that suit, Glossaryck?” Star asked with a weary, shaking voice. Glossaryck merely looked at her with what she thought resembled remorse.</p><p>A massive <em>boom</em> erupted throughout the room, shaking the Monster Temple’s walls for a brief moment. Moon, Star, and Eclipsa struggled to regain their balance as the shaking subsided. The noise had sounded far away, as if it originated from the uppermost part of the castle.</p><p>“Did that…? <em>Ohmygosh</em>, that came from my room!” Star exclaimed. “It’s Marco!” Star began to dash toward the staircase, but a firm hand wrapped around her arm and held her in place. Moon’s firm, yet weary gaze loomed over her.</p><p>“Star, you <em>can’t</em>. He could hurt you! It’s not him, it’s—”</p><p>“If there’s only one way to end this,” Star interjected with determination. “If we have to destroy the Magic to make all of this stop... Then I’m getting him back,” she continued, tearing her arm out of her mother’s grasp. She looked towards her former mentor once more. “I’m sorry, Gloss,” she said with genuine remorse. She knew that this could be the last time she saw him.</p><p>Star paused for a moment as another thought came into her mind.</p><p>“Marco’s going to hate that he can’t tell her himself, so would you at least say goodbye to Hekapoo for him?” She asked with a sad smile. Glossaryck wordlessly nodded with a solemn expression on his face.</p><p>“Star, I forbid you fr—” Moon tried to say. Her speech halted in her throat when a ray of rainbow light wrapped firmly around her entire body, sending her toppling over.</p><p>Star looked down on her mother with a sad, steely gaze. “Just… Just try to fix your mess with Mina. Stall her until I can break Marco’s curse. It’s the least you can do,” Star stated firmly. She then looked over towards Eclipsa and Meteora, slightly shaking her head. “Eclipsa, do what you can to make sure the people are safe, but don’t try to intervene with me and Marco again. You’ve done enough. I’m sorry everyone, but this ends <em>now</em>,” Star proclaimed boldly.</p><p>She turned away from the group and mustered all of her strength. She could feel that her short time spent in the Magic had given her just enough power to get by, but she would have to be careful and conserve her magic. And so, she focused all of her energy into performing the All-Seeing Eye spell one last time. A short moment later, Janna and Tom’s surprised faces appeared before her. From what she could see behind them, it looked as though they were in an elevator.</p><p>“Star!” Tom called out. “What’s going on?”</p><p>“Janna, Tom, let’s do this,” Star said as fearlessly as she could.</p><p>“You found Marco…?” Asked Janna wearily.</p><p>“I’m pretty sure, yeah,” Star nodded, glancing toward the staircase in anticipation.</p><p>“You remember where you’re going, right? And you can open a portal there?” Tom asked.</p><p>“Trust me, I’ve got this,” Star replied, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. “Meet me there as fast as you can. I’ll try to buy you guys some time.”</p><p>Janna and Tom nodded, and Star let the spell fade without another word. <em>I can do this</em>, she assured herself, preparing for the difficult task ahead.</p><p>“Star!” Eclipsa called out before she could race off. Star turned to face her, and Eclipsa gave her a slight nod. “The tie,” she said nervously. “I think it’s his tie.”</p><p>Moon looked over at Eclipsa in shock. Star didn’t have time to question how Eclipsa knew that. She merely nodded in understanding and bolted up the staircase and out of sight.</p><p>Star didn’t know how this was going to end for her, nor Marco. All she knew was that she had to try everything she could to free her best friend from the throes of the curses that plagued him. Better yet, she was going to free everyone—monsters and mewmans alike—from the nightmares that the Magic had brought upon them all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*When First Born says “The last time you were here you created a major problem for me” to Star, this is a quote from S4 E18 “Mama Star.” I can only imagine she was referring to Moon introducing the corrupted, purple magic when she fled into the Magic dimension after her fight with Meteora (and Eclipsa) at the end of season 3. I always found that very compelling, and I wished the show discussed it more. Thus, here is my interpretation of it.</p><p>*Can anyone guess which show I’m referencing when Star sees the creepy image of Marco in the Magic? My roommate actually came up with the idea, but it happened to delightfully resemble a certain moment in an episode of another Disney show which just aired this past week…</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Sun, the Moon, and the Star</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Star finally faces Marco.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>*Toffee voice* SURPRISE! I lied. There will now be two more chapters after THIS update. I got a little carried away with this one… But now we get to drag this bad boy out a little longer!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The halls of the Monster Temple blurred past Star as she raced upstairs and toward her and Marco’s rooms. Her laboured breaths heaved in her chest and stung her throat. Finally arriving at her destination, Star skidded to a halt outside her bedroom door. She slowly reached out and grasped the door handle, but couldn’t bring herself to turn it; her wrist simply wouldn’t obey her head. Star had no idea what awaited her on the other side of the door. She took a moment to catch her breath. Star looked down at the large, periwinkle and white long-sleeved gown she was still wearing from the dinner a few hours prior. Deciding it may be wise to switch into something more practical, Star used a small portion of her already dwindling magic to swap out the formal attire for her favourite casual look, which consisted of her signature horn headband, a light blue dress with a small narwhal design embroidered into the bottom, and her usual striped leggings and knee-high boots. Once she was pleased with her change in appearance, Star let herself take pause to sift through her emotions.</p><p><em>So, okay. Marco’s cursed. Like, scary cursed, and apparently bent on destroying the Magic. But I’m gonna save him. Yeah. I can do this! Am I gonna let some creepy Blood Moon and my psychotic great-great grandmother and Toffee, of all people, take me down? No! Besides, it’s not like Marco and I haven’t been through worse… Right?  </em>Star’s breath finally began to even out. <em>Okay. All I have to do is get rid of Toffee… again. Then that stupid Blood Moon curse. Then I can have Marco back. How hard could it be?  </em>Star took a long, steady inhale, released the door’s handle, and took two steps backwards into the hallway.</p><p>The sound of the wooden door splintering and flying open under the weight of her kick resounded through the room with a thundering crash. Star effortlessly regained her balance and stood in the doorway, hands glowing with shimmering shades of blue light. Her gaze slowly scanned the her bedroom from top to bottom: each floor of the tower was lined with streaks of purple flames, while the furniture was scattered and in pieces, nearly destroyed. It was total carnage. Star’s eyes finally landed on Marco, who had been frantically patting out a cluster of flames on the sleeve of his black suit jacket.</p><p>Marco’s head whipped over to the doorway at the sound of Star’s thunderous entrance. “Star?!” He exclaimed. His suit jacket was tattered, singed, and hung loosely open, clearly missing its button, while Marco’s hair stuck up in all directions. Even the slightly luminous tie around his neck was loosely hanging off to the side. His disheveled state was clearly a result of whatever explosion had recently gone off. Star could still see purple sparks shooting from the wand in his hand.</p><p>“<em>Whaaaaat </em>the…?” She whispered in awe and confusion at the sight before her.</p><p>Marco gave her a bright smile and an awkward, sheepish wave. “Star! Hey!” His eyes went wide, and he quickly took a moment to smooth out his hair with a fumbling hand, but his effort was only partially successful. “Hi. I, uh…” He trailed off, taking in the wreckage surrounding him.</p><p>Star took a few cautious paces into the room, carefully stepping over patches of flame in her path. She studied Marco’s behaviour for another few beats. It seemed as though he was somewhat in control of himself. <em>For now, anyway, </em>Star thought.</p><p>“Marco…? What are you doing?” She asked tentatively.</p><p>“Heh… Sorry. I’m kinda still getting used to this thing,” he chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck with a downcast gaze. She saw him glance down at the wand clutched by his side. “I tried to do that All-Seeing Eye spell and it didn’t go so well… I, uh, I guess I probably should have seen that coming. But now you’re here!” He smiled and closed the distance between them, then lightly grasped her upper arm with his free hand, while his thumb grazed her skin with soft strokes. “Hey,” he breathed.</p><p>Under his warm gaze, Star felt her cheeks heat up against her will. He was looking at her like he couldn’t see anything else even if he tried. <em>It’s just the Blood Moon… It’s just the Blood Moon… </em>She chanted internally, desperately trying not to take his actions to heart.</p><p>“Don’t,” Star warned, taking a step back and causing his hand to hover in the air between them before dropping to his side. She pointed her palms towards him as a clear reminder of what had transpired out on the roof, the last time he had gotten more than a little too close. Star hated recoiling from his touch: whether it was holding his hand, hugging him tightly, and even falling asleep on his shoulder during late night movie marathons, Star had grown more than accustomed to Marco being close to her. She wished he didn’t feel so much like home to her, at least not at the moment, while he was being drawn to her by some creepy, celestial, soul-bonding curse. But to make matters worse, Marco’s mannerisms were so much like his usual self at the moment that it was making Star’s heart ache more than she ever thought was possible.</p><p>Marco looked down, clearly dejected. “Okay,” he replied with a small voice. “But I have to go. And I kinda need your help with something,” he added with intent, although still quite awkwardly.</p><p>“I know,” Star stated calmly. She wasn’t about to let him see how scared and heartsick she truly felt.</p><p>The room fell silent for a moment. “You… know?” Marco asked in confusion. He was now looking at her as if she had three heads, and not in the cool way.</p><p>Star nodded. “Uh-huh.”</p><p>Marco’s gaze darted around awkwardly. “Like… <em>You</em> <em>know</em>, you know?”</p><p>“<em>Ugh</em>, Marco! Yes, I know! I know that you’re gonna destroy the wand. And the Magic.”</p><p>“How did you…?” Marco’s look of confusion slowly melted into a soft smile as he trailed off. “I shouldn’t be surprised. You’re amazing,” he shrugged.</p><p>“Yeah, obviously,” Star muttered, trying not to be flustered by his curse-induced sincerity. She was starting to lose patience with his constant displays of affection, even if it was flattering, to say the absolute least. She let out a ragged breath and turned away from him. Using the smallest amount of her already weakening magic as she possibly could, Star did a pirouette and doused the room in magic beams of water until the tower was left smoking, but flame-free. She then placed her hands on her hips, relieved and satisfied with her admittedly risky handiwork. Star turned back to Marco. “C’mon. I’ll take you to the entrance. But you <em>have</em> to promise me no more trying to use the wand.”</p><p>Marco furrowed his brows and narrowed his gaze. “The entrance? What entrance? Don’t you normally just portal to the Magic?”</p><p>“Nope. No portals right now, remember? We gotta go to the Magic Sanctuary. We can hop dimensions from there,” Star explained. She waited a few moments before she risked pressing her arm against her hip as imperceptibly as she could, double-checking that her mother’s scissors were still tucked away in the pocket of her now aquamarine dress.  Much to her relief, they had remained in place during her outfit change a few moments prior. The reassurance gave her a much-needed boost in confidence. <em>This had better work…</em></p><p>Marco nodded in understanding, and his smile fully reached his eyes—his soft, warm, brown, and not at all green eyes, much to Star’s relief. “Thank you for coming back for me, especially after the way I acted last night. I… I guess I couldn’t really help it,” he admitted softly. His crooked smile fell and his expression wavered. “I, uh, I’m not gonna lie… It’s kind of hard to explain right now, but I’m really scared.” His voice began to crack at the end of his confession, and Star’s heart broke all over again.</p><p>She knew that there were so many forces at work inside his head compelling him to do this—Celena and Toffee’s curse, the Blood Moon, and probably even the ineffable power of Rhina’s prophecy itself—but on the surface of all that was still her best friend, her rock. She needed Marco more than ever right now, and it was tearing her apart to feel so distant and angry with him. Star couldn’t believe that Marco had kept all of this from her. She could have made sure he never got the tie, and she could have been there by his side while they figured it out together, instead of Toffee calling the shots inside of Marco’s head. She hated the fact that she was scared of him right now. She knew that at any moment he could get irrational and explosive thanks to the Blood Moon, or even worse, Toffee could take over, like she was pretty sure he had on the roof, when she had confronted Marco a couple of hours ago. Despite the storm of fear and betrayal and yearning she felt in his presence, Star simply couldn’t help it anymore—she pulled Marco into a hug, uncertain if she would be able to let go.</p><p>“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” she soothed. She hated seeing him so scared. “You’re gonna be okay. I’m here now, so we’re in this together, right?” Star tried with all her might to hold back her tears. She had to be strong for the both of them right now.</p><p>“Thank you,” he whispered genuinely. They finally pulled apart from their hug and Marco looked down at her with a serious, solemn gaze. “We should go,” he added reluctantly. Star watched as his eyes flickered to the wand in his opposite hand, which was beginning to emanate a soft green light. Marco’s eyes went wide and he visibly shuddered. “Okay, yep, we’ve gotta go <em>now</em>,” he stated more firmly with a cracking voice, nodding in quick succession.</p><p>Star’s gaze flickered from the wand towards the disheveled tie hanging loosely from his neck, then back down to the object in Marco’ hand. She recognized the light coming from the wand: it was the same colour of pale green that glowed behind his eyes out on the roof, in the moment when it looked like he was about to attack her. <em>That must be Toffee…</em> She realized. She got the message loud and clear. She still had no idea how she was going to get the cursed object off of him, or if it was even safe for her to do so, but she wasn’t about to incite Toffee’s anger in the meantime—not unless she had to.</p><p>“On it,” Star said in response to Marco’s panic. She shot a blast of light from her hand and a purplish, rather sickly looking Cloudy appeared before her. The spell began to splutter out a series of coughs and wheezes as it floated between the two teens.</p><p>“Oh… Hey, S-Star!” Cloudy tried to express, but the spell’s jovial tone was cut off by a fit of coughs.</p><p>“Hey, Cloudy.” Star turned to Marco. “‘Kay, hop on. Let’s go,” she ordered as she jumped onto Cloudy. The spell let out a sickly wheeze under the girl’s weight.</p><p>Marco eyed Cloudy skeptically. “Star, are you sure this is safe? That thing doesn’t look so good,” he noted, pointing at the hovering spell.</p><p>“Well, we can’t use portals and we need to get to the Sanctuary, so we’re kind of out of options. It’s Cloudy or nothing, dude,” Star pressed impatiently. After a few beats of tense consideration, Marco finally let out a conceding groan and hopped onto Cloudy.</p><p>The trio darted out the window and into the chilly dawn air. After a mere few seconds of flight, however, Cloudy began to visibly weaken. In the blink of an eye, Cloudy completely disintegrated and Star and Marco found themselves barreling towards the ground. The two teens let out a series of shouts into the open air. Star could feel her magical abilities dangerously waning, and so she scrunched her eyes shut and braced herself for the fall, powerless to aid the situation without her magic.</p><p>“<em>Oof</em>,” Star grunted as her chest made impact with something far softer than she had anticipated. She opened her eyes to find that she was sprawled out over Marco’s stomach. Marco, on the other hand, had one arm around her and the other stretched out above him, pointing the wand skyward. It appeared that Marco was projecting some kind of magical bubble around them, causing them to safely float a few feet from the ground.</p><p>“<em>What?!</em>  How did you do that?!” Star asked while struggling to untangle herself from their position. As she did, however, she accidentally jabbed her elbow into Marco’s abdomen, which caused him to groan in pain and lose focus. The spell disappeared with a <em>pop!</em> and the two proceeded to fall the final few feet downwards, landing on the cold, grassy ground.</p><p>Star sat up and immediately began to swat at Marco, eliciting a yelp from him. “What the <em>heck</em>, Star?! I was kinda trying to do something there,” he grumbled, trying to sit up.</p><p>“I <em>said</em> no more using the wand!” Star exclaimed. She shoved Marco’s shoulder hard enough to knock him back over.</p><p>Marco laid on his back for a moment with arms outstretched beside him, wand in hand. He let out a long sigh. “I think <em>‘thank you’</em>  is what you meant to say. So, you’re welcome,” he retorted pettily, rolling his eyes at her as he began to scramble to his feet.</p><p>Star jumped up and held out her hand. “Hand it over, Diaz,” she ordered with a stern tone.</p><p>Marco visibly paled. He took a step back from her and clutched the wand so tightly that his knuckles began to visibly whiten. “I can’t. Just… trust me. I’m sorry, I promise that I won’t use it again.”</p><p>“No, Marco. <em>Now</em>,” Star commanded more firmly.</p><p>“<em>No</em>, Star. You don’t get it, I—!” Marco looked down and saw that the wand was sparking with green light once again. His gaze shot back up to Star, and his eyes were wide and panicked. “<em>Please</em>,” he begged.</p><p>Star was taken aback for a moment. She had almost slipped back into her normal behaviour around him as they bickered, momentarily forgetting the danger they were in thanks to Toffee. She managed to swallow the fear rising in the back of her throat. She would have to play this Toffee’s way… For now, at least.</p><p>Star raised her hands in surrender. “Okay! Okay, you keep it.”</p><p>The wand’s light receded. Marco’s shoulders slumped in relief and he let out a shaky sigh. “Thank you. I promise I won’t use it again.”</p><p>“Well, good. Now, c’mon,” Star spoke over her shoulder as she turned and began to trudge into the woods, not waiting for him to follow. “It shouldn’t take us too long to walk there.” She could hear Marco’s quick footfalls padding along the soft ground as he raced to catch up with her.</p><p>The pair walked on in tense silence. The sky was beginning to brighten while the light from the stars and Mewni’s moons continued to fade one by one, making way for the sunrise. Star, in the meantime, calculated her next move carefully. She needed to buy time for Janna and Tom to get all the way down to wherever the Severing Stone was before she could get Marco down there. She prayed that her baseline knowledge of the Lucitor’s castle would help her navigate there with the scissors when the time came. But there was another issue on top of that: neither Marco nor Toffee—whoever she was going to be dealing with—were stupid. To buy her friends enough time, she was going to stall Marco by getting as close to the Magic as possible without letting him enter it. It was risky, but the added benefit to being close to the Magic was that its proximity would hopefully augment her powers, just in case she needed them. In addition, she had to keep Marco distracted until she could figure out how to remove the tie from him safely, preferably before they got to the Underworld—the last thing she wanted to do was put Tom and Janna in danger. And, based off what Eclipsa had said about this particular type of curse, it sounded like Marco wasn’t going to want to take no for an answer in the meantime.</p><p>The dense treeline parted as Star and Marco stepped out onto the shore of an expansive lake. The sun’s earliest rays glittered and danced upon the water’s surface. Star came to an abrupt halt, causing Marco to skid to a stop, nearly causing him to lose his balance. Hands on her hips and slowly scanning the water’s edge, Star remained silent for a short while. Her long, golden hair and the light blue fabric of her dress fluttered as a soft breeze rolled off the water and toward her.</p><p>Marco cleared his throat awkwardly. “And, uh… <em>what</em> are we doing here, exactly?”</p><p>Star raised her hand but continued to stare intently at the body of water ahead of her. “<em>Shush</em>. We’re waiting,” she whispered firmly, clearly trying to stay focused.</p><p>After nearly five minutes of complete silence without a single sign of life from the water, Star finally relented, plopping down onto the sand and grumbling under her breath. Marco slowly sat down beside her, and the two squinted at the sunrise as it began its crawl over the horizon. Star used to love the thrill of seeing the sunrise after an endless night of partying, whether out dimension-hopping with her girlfriends or staying up all night binging TV shows with Marco. When she looked out over the water today, however, the presence of the sun merely confirmed that this nightmare was nowhere near complete. The sunrise meant that Mina’s army was approaching, and Eclipsa, Globgor, Meteora, Buff Frog, the Buff babies, and every other monster in the kingdom were in peril. The sunrise meant that the hour had come for her mother to make the right choice, and Star prayed that she would choose wisely. The sunrise made everything seem far too real right now. Star found herself longing for the moon to return.</p><p>After another bout of long, heavy silence, Star turned to face Marco in her seated position. They locked eyes. “So…” said Star and Marco in unison. “Oh, sorry! No, you go ahead!” They continued to blurt out at the exact same time. “Oh! I just wanted to—!” They froze. The teens erupted into fits of laughter, momentarily shattering the bittersweet tension between them. Their laughter eventually subsided, and Star’s face fell as she remembered the night of the Blood Moon Ball, when they had experienced this phenomenon for the first time. Marco seemed to follow her train of thought, and let out a final, wistful chuckle from between closed lips.</p><p>“Hey, Star?” He asked at the exact moment that Star tried to say, “Okay, I’ll go first.” This time, Star merely gave him a deadpan stare. Marco clamped his hands over his mouth under her gaze.</p><p>“Ugh <em>what</em>, Marco?” Star snapped, throwing her hands in the air in annoyance.</p><p>He slowly uncovered his mouth and let his hands fall into his lap. “Right, yeah. So…” Marco trailed off, staring down at the wand he held between his crossed legs. “Did Eclipsa tell you?”</p><p>“Kind of, yeah,” Star sighed. “Her, my mom, and I all figured it out. But I guess she already kinda knew what was up with you, huh?” She asked with a layer of ice to her voice. Marco continued to stare down into his lap, clearly avoiding her question. <em>I can’t believe he told Eclipsa and not me! Why wouldn’t he trust me? </em> She thought to herself angrily. “Why didn’t you tell me what was going on? I could have helped.”</p><p>Marco finally met her gaze. He looked defeated. “I’m <em>so</em> sorry, Star. I—”</p><p>“<em>Gahh! </em>” Star interrupted, groaning in frustration and pulling at chunks of hair on the sides of her head. “I don’t wanna hear any more apologies from anyone right now, and <em>especially</em> not from you.” She shook her head, trying to clear the feelings of betrayal and yearning that were overwhelming her. “Marco… You know that you don’t have to do this, right?” She asked solemnly.</p><p>Marco slowly shook his head, then fixed his intent gaze on hers. “No, I <em>do</em>, though. We <em>both</em> do. We don’t have a choice anymore; we basically never did. It’s the only thing I actually do know right now. <em>That</em> and, well, how I feel about you. About us. And I—”</p><p>“No, Marco. You <em>don’t</em>,” Star said harshly. “I know you may not be able to help it right now, but <em>this</em>,” she gestured between them, “it can’t happen.” <em>Not right now,</em> she thought to herself. <em>Not like this...</em></p><p>“Right, because of Tom. I know. I’m trying to understand, I promise,” Marco murmured. He stared down at the sand dolefully, drawing his legs together and hugging his knees tightly to his chest, wand still in hand. “It’s just hard, I guess.”</p><p>Star decided that now was not the right time to break the news to him that his feelings for her had only ever been because of a curse. Instead, she stood up, dusted off her signature light blue narwhal dress and striped leggings, and extended out a hand to help him up. “Besides, we have something more important to do, remember?”</p><p>“Star?” Marco asked quietly, letting her raise him up off the sand. “You don’t trust me, do you?” He asked once he was at eye level with her.</p><p>“<em>Ugh</em>, I don’t know right now, Marco. This is all super scary and you… You <em>hid</em> this from me,” Star lamented, walking a few steps away from him, clenching her fists at her sides. “You kept me in the dark and I didn’t even know any of this was happening until it was too late. And now, after all that we’ve been through, you’re <em>still</em> not telling me everything! I-I don’t even know how this happened to you, or how you apparently know about the prophecy, and now—!” Star had to stop herself before she started hyperventilating. She knew that now was not the time to panic. There <em>was</em> no time to panic, not when Mina and her army were approaching. Not when Toffee was still a threat to both Marco and herself. She took a few deep breaths before continuing. “You’re not yourself,” she whispered sadly. She could tell that he was just barely in control of himself at the moment, and it was killing her inside knowing that he was most likely fighting to keep Toffee’s desires at bay. Star squared her shoulders and turned around to face him once more. “So, honestly, I don’t know. But you’re gonna have to trust me.”</p><p>Marco’s open suit jacket and loose red necktie fluttered in the breeze, as did his tousled hair as it flopped over his deep brown gaze, which was even warmer than usual thanks to the various shades of orange and yellow sunlight dancing across his face. “I do, Star. No matter what,” Marco vowed sincerely with a slight shrug. There was no malice in his voice, not even a trace of his often snarky tone. Star found herself feeling grateful for the way that the Blood Moon Curse was affecting him at this moment; she needed Marco to trust her, and the more blindly the better.</p><p>The sound of rippling waves and bubbles rising to the lake’s surface suddenly trickled through the air. A long snout and a pair of big, bulging eyes silently appeared in the middle of the body of water. Star let out a gasp of delighted surprise. “Yes!” She exclaimed, rushing over to the water’s edge. She dropped down onto all fours and watched intently as the creature slowly approached her. “This is it!” She whispered excitedly, whipping her head towards her friend for a brief moment before continuing to watch the aquatic animal’s approach.</p><p>“Uh, what?” Asked Marco, eyes darting between Star and the creature as he looked on in complete confusion.</p><p>“The gatekeeper, <em>duh</em>,” Star explained in anticipation. Rising up from the surface of the lake, a slender alligator began to waddle its way through the shallows and up to the crouching girl.</p><p>“<em>Bwaaaaaaa</em>,” Star began to bellow deeply. “<em>Bwaaaaa</em>, <em>bwaaaaaaaaaa</em>.”</p><p>Marco looked around uncomfortably, as if to check if anyone else was seeing the same strange sight as he was. “<em>Aaaaand</em> she’s lost it,” he stated matter-of-factly. Much to Marco’s surprise, however, the alligator returned her call. Marco stared at the bizarre interchange in disbelief. The two exchanged a series of <em>bwaaaaa</em> noises until the alligator turned away and began to swim back whence it came.</p><p>Star stood up and turned towards Marco, beaming with pride. “Coming from <em>you</em>,” she teased with a pointed, daring smile. Marco narrowed his gaze on her, clearly unimpressed with her comment, but Star could still see the softness behind his eyes as he stared her down.</p><p>Marco looked out at the water. “So, what do we d—?”</p><p>Just as quickly as the alligator had submerged, a distant rumbling noise began to emanate from the water, until a massive and ornate building rose from the depths. Heaps of alligators gradually slid from its purple and blue stained glass roof until the building stood towering over the surrounding lake. Star smiled at her wide-eyed and gaping friend, batting her eyelashes. “Shall we?” She asked with a smug, sugar-sweet tone. Without waiting for his response, Star began to hop across the newly risen path of stones which led to the sanctuary. Marco shook his head in disbelief before shrugging and following suit.</p><p>The pair entered the building’s grand hall and Marco let out a low whistle of appreciation. “Here ya have it,” Star shrugged. “The Magic Sanctuary.” She tried to ignore the panic rising in her stomach at the sight of the pools of purple magic slowly eating away at the golden waters that cascaded down from atop the well and filled the room.</p><p>Marco waded through the shallow pools of magic. “This is just too many Glossarycks,” he grimaced as he took in the lavish room, ornately decorated with dozens of images of Star’s former mentor. “I’m pretty sure one of him is enough. Like, why—<em>OAHHH! </em>” Marco screeched. He had tripped over something, but quickly regained his balance and grasped the wand tightly in defense. Marco pivoted around, only to point the wand at a massive statue of Glossaryck’s jewel-eyed face jutting out from the liquid below his feet. “<em>Ugh</em>…” He shuddered as he continued to wander further into the room, cautiously watching his step. He eventually stopped at the bottom of the grand spiral staircase that led up to the opening of the well. “So, is this the way to the Magic? Star?” Marco called when he was met with no response.</p><p><em>I have to stall him. Now. Like, right now, </em>Star thought to herself worriedly. She barely noticed her foot’s rapid, anxious tapping as it created ripples in the flowing pools of half-corrupted magic below her. She really, <em>really</em> didn’t want to do what she was about to do, but Star knew that she was running out of options. Desperation aside, Star wanted answers. She placed her hands on her hips and raised her chin, steeling herself for the confrontation to come.</p><p>“Let me talk to Toffee,” Star demanded calmly.</p><p>Marco looked as though he had seen the Stump. “<em>What?! </em>” He shrieked in his signature high-pitched voice. “H-How do you know that I—? That he…?”</p><p>Star took a few determined steps towards him. “Marco, just let me talk to him. Then I’ll do whatever we have to do,” she said resolutely.</p><p>“Star, <em>no</em>,” Marco choked out, backing away from her until his shoulders nearly collided with the cylindrical tower that led up to the well. “Are you <em>insane?!</em> I’m not letting you—!”</p><p> “—And <em>I’m</em> not going any further until you let me talk to him!” Star shouted, taking one more step towards him. She prayed that he couldn’t see her knees trembling.</p><p>“I-It’s dangerous!” Marco stuttered, his eyes frantically seeking a route of escape.</p><p>“<em>Marco! </em>” Star shouted.</p><p>“NO! I-I can’t just—!” Star watched Marco choke on the rest of his words before they could leave his throat. His wide, panicked eyes suddenly went blank and lifeless before rolling back into his head and fluttering closed. When they opened, Star was met with a nearly unrecognizable, bright green stare.</p><p><em>Good</em>, Star thought as she tried to swallow the terror building in her chest. She watched Marco’s physicality transform almost instantaneously: he took two slow, self-assured steps away from the well’s tower and placed both of his hands behind his back, causing him to stand with an almost taller, pin-straight posture. Star had seen a lot of freaky things throughout her adventures, but in this moment, she was certain that she had never witnessed anything so downright terrifying as Marco looking so cold and sinister.</p><p>“Hello, Princess,” Marco smoothly intoned with a timbre and cadence that Star thought she would never hear again. It was still her best friend’s voice, but the way in which he spoke was unmistakable.</p><p><em>This must have been what Mom and Eclipsa were so freaked out about, </em>Star realized. Toffee really had returned, at least partially, by using Marco as his host. <em>Woah… Marco-Toffee. Marffee!</em>  She thought to herself with a soft gasp. Star couldn’t decide whether she wanted to scream, cry, burst into hysterical laughter, or lunge at him. Since none of those were ideal options at the moment, she settled on acknowledging the murderous villain who was currently taking over her best friend’s body as civilly as possible. <em>Besides</em>, she thought to herself smugly, <em>it’s not like he’s gonna be around for much longer…</em></p><p>“Nope, it’s just ‘Star’ now, thanks,” she corrected him with a level gaze.</p><p>“What do you want?” ‘Marffee’—as Star furthermore internally referred to him as—asked dryly, his patience clearly already wearing thin.</p><p>“What? Don’t feel like chatting? Well too bad, ‘cause I’ve got some questions for you.”</p><p>“We’re not doing this now, <em>Princess</em>,” Marco retorted patronizingly, purposefully refusing to correct his formal address. “You already know why I’m here. Perhaps you and the boy can continue to catch up later.” Star didn’t like the way that comment resonated with her; something about his dismissive tone insinuated that he didn’t anticipate that happening any time soon.</p><p>“I know that I have to destroy the Magic. I know that it’s inevitable... But you must have known that too, didn’t you? So why did you even bother trying to pull this off yourself?” She asked bitingly. Internally, Star was seething with anger. She remembered how Toffee had trapped her in the sickly, decaying Magic realm and left her to die. At the time, she thought she was as good as dead until Glossaryck helped her dip down and restore the Magic. She thought that he had one. She thought that she was never going to see Marco or her friends and family again. “I don’t get it... What was the point if you and Celena were just going to curse Marco in the end?!”</p><p>“Are you finished?” Marco drawled with an unimpressed, green-lit stare.</p><p>Star’s memory began to replay how her and Toffee’s last encounter had ended, and she gave Marco’s internal captor an icy stare. “I destroyed you. And I’ll do it again.”</p><p>The green lights behind Marco’s eyes seemed to flare up. “<em>Destroyed</em> me? Is <em>that</em> what you think you did?” He scoffed with eyes wide and challenging, and a nearly imperceptible smile. But Star could see the fury seeping through his prideful façade. Satisfaction washed over her—he was taking the bait. But sure enough, Toffee seemed to catch his misstep, and Marco’s sinister smile fell. “<em>Enough</em>,” his Toffee-laced voice warned.</p><p>Star merely shrugged. “I don’t really think you have much of a choice here. The only way I’m going anywhere with you is if I get some answers first.”</p><p>Marco fell silent for a beat, but eventually conceded. “Fine,” he said, straightening and smoothing out his red necktie.</p><p>Star dove right into her interrogation. “Why did you try to kill both Marco and I if you were just gonna curse him anyway?”</p><p>Toffee began to calmly explain himself through Marco’s voice. “To be frank, I got… impatient. I tried to settle things myself, but it seems that it wasn’t meant to be.” As he spoke, Marco tucked the wand into his pocket, freeing up both of his hands. He attempted to do up his disheveled and half-singed suit jacket, only to find that the button needed to do so was missing. An unimpressed <em>tsk</em> sound escaped his lips and he sighed in defeat, letting the jacket fall open once more.</p><p>“So that’s why you cursed him?” Star confirmed. “Because it didn’t work out the first two times you tried?”</p><p>Marco’s jaw visibly clenched. “One look at you two together confirmed that the boy had...” He sighed and looked at Star with a deadpan stare. “… <em>Actual</em> feelings for you, those which were inevitably getting in the way of what the Blood Moon Curse was intended for.” *</p><p>Star balked in confusion. “<em>What?</em> You knew about that?” She asked. “It brought us together, i-it bound our souls... What <em>else</em> was it supposed to do?” She had no idea what Toffee could be insinuating, but was determined to get to the truth, whatever it was.</p><p>He resigned himself to give her yet another reply. “I can’t speak for Celena’s magic. In the end, we both merely wanted the same thing,” Marco spelled out in a calculated voice. Star watched as he took a moment to glance up at the towering entrance to the Magic.</p><p>“This doesn’t make any sense,” Star shook her head, feeling overwhelmed by Toffee’s convoluted explanations. <em>So Celena and Toffee made sure that Marco and I were cursed by the Blood Moon?! This can’t be real…</em></p><p>“And I don’t care to explain it to you any further,” Marco remarked with indifference.</p><p>Star nearly let out a growl. “I’m not going <em>anywhere</em> with you, Toffee. Not while you’re in his body. Marco won’t be anywhere close to the Magic when I do this.”</p><p>Marco’s green eyes blinked, almost as if Toffee were taken aback. “I’m afraid that’s not an option,” he replied with a suddenly cavalier stare.</p><p>“And why not?” Star demanded angrily.</p><p>Marco pulled the wand from his pocket nonchalantly, examining it with a cold indifference. “You see, <em>Princess</em>, Celena intended for the Blood Moon bond to weaken him—to deteriorate his will just enough for me to step in and guide him in the right direction, so to speak,” he explained with a righteous, patronizing tone that sounded completely foreign coming from Marco’s mouth. Star looked at the tie around his neck in disgust while Marco looked up from the wand and took a slow, almost menacing step towards her. Star felt her stomach drop. “And all of this was done to draw him to the wand, and therefore to <em>you</em>,” he affirmed with an air of finality, as if he had just handed her the absolute answer. Unfortunately for Star, he had.</p><p>Star began to shake her head slowly as her mind raced. “So that <em>both</em> he and I would be the ones to destroy the Magic. Like the prophecy… Like <em>Celena</em> wanted,” she choked out in shocked realization.</p><p><em>So that’s it, then. Marco has to do this with me. This is why we were cursed by the Blood Moon. This is probably why we met each other in the first place… We’re both just another means to an end, like Glossaryck said</em>. Truth be told, Star didn’t care what Celena foresaw. She would still fight to ensure that Marco was nowhere near the Magic when she destroyed it. She didn’t even know if she was going to survive this, and she couldn’t risk him getting hurt any further. Marco had a family to get home to back on Earth, including a newborn baby sister to watch grow up. He wanted to start a family himself, someday. Star felt an overwhelming sense of remorse: Marco never should have been dragged into the war between Butterflies, mewmans, monsters, and magic. Star had grown used to sacrificing what she wanted out of life in the name of duty, but Marco deserved a far better fate. He deserved to live a long, normal life on Earth, far away from her dimension’s strife—far away from her. She owed him that much.</p><p>Star’s internal stream of heartbreak was cut off by Marco’s cold, Toffee-infused voice. “And now, I’ll admit, after a lapse in judgement or two, I’m ready to end this Celena’s way. And it looks like I’ll have to do it on the boy’s behalf. So, if you don’t mind, let’s get this over—”</p><p>“You barely even tried to get to him! You kidnapped him <em>once!”</em>  Star shouted, letting her frustration get the better of her. Toffee truly was a fool if he, knowing everything that he did, thought that he could bypass a prophecy and destroy the Magic himself. <em>No one has any say in this anymore. Not me, not Marco, not even Celena...</em> <em>But </em>definitely<em> not Toffee. </em>What terrified Star the most was that Toffee nearly succeeded the last time he tried to fulfill Celena’s mission. He had murdered her grandmother, Comet, and even Chancellor Lekmet. He had nearly killed Star, Marco, and Moon on multiple occasions. The last time her and Toffee met, his power had just about outmatched hers. <em>Except it didn’t, </em>Star thought with determination.</p><p>“You just wanted all of us out of the way so that you could get rid of the Magic yourself,” she spat judgmentally.</p><p>Marco cocked his brow at her. “Yes, well, forgive me if I found it difficult to trust a Butterfly,” he drawled with an emerald glare.</p><p>Star couldn’t argue with him on that. But whether or not her family deserved to lose their magical abilities, Toffee in no way deserved to come out of this on top. Star had defeated him twice before, and she could surely do it again. <em>I don’t care about the prophecy anymore. Toffee isn’t winning this time.</em></p><p>“I want Marco back,” Star growled. She dropped into a combative stance, no longer attempting to conceal her intentions. She was going to get that tie off of Marco through whatever measures necessary.</p><p>“I know, Princess,” Toffee chastised her with a mocking tone of false pity through Marco’s voice. “And you can have whatever is left of his body once I’m done with him.” And with that final statement, Toffee began to walk Marco towards the well.</p><p>The air around Star exploded in a hurricane of furious light as she instantly transformed into her butterfly form. She was done stalling—it was time to take action. Toffee was a murderer who was hellbent on getting his way no matter the cost. She wasn’t about to let him take her best friend from her. Star knew there was a chance that she could hurt Marco in the process, but if she played this well, she might be able to subdue him with minimal damage to her friend’s body. Nevertheless, Star knew that Marco could hold his own in a fight, and she could only assume that Toffee wouldn’t go down easily.</p><p>Thanks to her proximity to the Magic, as corrupted as it was, she could feel wave after wave of electrified power coursing through her body. Her eyes radiated with white-hot light, and an aura of gold surrounded her. Star let out a furious, frustrated shriek that seemed to ring through the sanctuary in multiple octaves. Marco turned at the sound, just in time to gracefully dodge a barrage of narwhals cascading towards him. His precise maneuver, however, was quickly stymied by a seemingly endless torrent of glittering pink strawberries colliding with his chest, knocking him down and sending Marco skidding through the room’s waters on his back.</p><p>The force of the blow had knocked the wand from his hand, and it glided through the shallow pools of golden and purple magic, landing a short distance away from him. Marco began to reach for it just as Star raced towards him. She beat him to it, kicking the green, spiked object behind her. He was going to have to go through her to get it. Star loomed over Marco’s still-fallen form, her six hands glowing and at the ready. When he looked up at her however, she was met with a shocked, brown-eyed stare.</p><p>“<em>Marco!</em> Is that you?!” Star gasped. She began to rush towards him, but Marco held out his hands as if to fend her off.</p><p>“Star, wait! <em>Please</em> don’t—!”</p><p>“<em>Ohmygosh</em>,” Star grabbed Marco’s elbow and began to help him up, ignoring his admonitory plea. “I’m so sorry! I just—!” Star didn’t notice the colour of his eyes until he was standing just above eye level with her: they suddenly sparked to life with a green blaze. In the blink of an eye, Marco tightly grasped both of Star’s upper arms and slammed her onto the ground in one fluid arc.</p><p>Star let out a pained grunt as she hit the magic-soaked floor. “<em>Seriously?!</em>” She growled. <em>So that’s how Toffee wants to play it, huh? Let’s do this, then. </em>As she sat up, she noticed that Marco had nearly thrown her onto the wand. She grabbed it out from underneath her torso and quickly stood back up, pointing it at directly her best friend. The wand transformed in her hands, and she felt some of her anxiety ebb as it took on a more familiar, pink and purple form.</p><p>Marco stood across from her, panting slightly. Before he could advance on her, he began to visibly falter, loosing his footing where he stood. Star watched as the green light in his eyes began to flicker and fade as Marco fervidly shook his head and grabbed at his head.</p><p>“W-wait, <em>no!”</em> He muttered to himself with a panicked, high-pitched voice that seemed to bubble up from his throat. Pieces of his hair clung to his sweat-soaked forehead, while the rest shot out at erratic angles. Star had never seen him look so frantic. He stared at her with a frenetic, almost deranged look in his eyes.  “I’m so sorry, Star! I’m so so <em>so</em> sorry!” He apologized profusely, brown eyes glistening with emotion.  He hadn’t tried to move toward her, though, clearly keeping himself at a distance. It appeared that Marco was in control of himself again, at least for the moment. “Okay, now I <em>really</em> need the wand, Star. Hurry!”</p><p>She nearly laughed in shock. “Uhm, no <em>freaking</em> way, dude! Are you nuts?!” She shouted back.</p><p>Marco began to cautiously approach her as he spoke. “We need to do this <em>now!</em> I-I can’t hold him back much longer! The <em>wand</em>, Star!” He yelled, holding out his hand.</p><p>“No!” Star screamed back with determination. She held the wand tightly and soared up into the air until she was closer to the stained glass ceiling than she was to him. “There has to be another way!” She called down to him. Star knew that this was getting well out of hand. She had let Toffee get to her and she lost control of the situation. She couldn’t afford to let him get the upper hand on her again, so she reached into the pocket of her now orange and yellow dress and began to grasp her mother’s scissors. She would have to figure out a plan to get him to the Severing Stone later, once she got him through a portal and away from the Magic.</p><p>“STAR, <em>PLEASE! </em>” Marco shouted desperately from below. He patted his jacket and pants pockets then looked around the room, frantically trying to come up with a solution.</p><p>“NO!” She screamed, still grasping the wand in one of her six hands as she prepared to wield the scissors. As she began to pull the dimensional scissors out of her pocket, however, Marco suddenly stopped his frantic behaviour and froze. He looked down at his hands, seemingly lost in thought. When he raised his head to look at her, his chocolate brown eyes were glistening at the edges. He looked heartbroken.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, Star,” he choked out quietly, just barely loud enough for Star to hear from above. She fluttered her wings and wearily inched a little bit further away from the ceiling, straining to hear what he was saying. “I hope you can forgive me for this,” he whispered. Marco took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Star barely made out the two short words that followed:</p><p>“<em>Dip down.</em>”</p><p>Star’s hands slipped down to her side in shock as the air in the room seemed to swirl and ignite. The scissors remained forgotten in her pocket as she watched the sight before her in awe. Marco’s body was consumed by flashes of purple and crimson as he began to rise into the air, fully enveloped in a cocoon of magical light. Then the blaze subsided just enough for Star to see through the storm.</p><p>Star was left completely entranced by the vision of Marco hovering before her as he began to take on an entirely different form. A surge of purple and red light slowly snaked its way up his body, transforming his appearance as it went. Marco’s feet were now clad in a pair of black, slightly heeled boots. He was wearing long black pants with sharp, golden accents down the sides of the legs. A red double-breasted vest was fitted overtop of a white collard shirt with its top few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled halfway up. Four extra arms unfurled from his shoulders, and around which was draped an eerily glowing, elegant, bright red scarf. His eyes were now two wide, searing white orbs, and his thick hair was neatly coiffed back and out of his face. He executed a swift, graceful spin in midair, which caused a massive pair of red and black wings to fan out from behind him. With a near blinding flash of light, two blood red crescent moons began to radiate from his cheeks.*</p><p>Star’s human best friend was now in full butterfly form.</p><p>Marco fixed his scorching gaze on hers. “Star, I <em>really</em> need the wand. It’s the only way to make him stop,” he pleaded in his own voice, much to Star’s relief. His six hands, meanwhile, began glowing with various shades of purple.</p><p>“<em>Marco?!</em>  What the heck is going on?! What <em>is</em> this?!” Star exclaimed. <em>Celena’s cheek marks... Mom and Eclipsa were right, he really does have her powers! </em>She thought to herself in horror.<em> But how did he know to do that?! How can he use even use her magic like this?!</em></p><p>“Star, <em>PLEASE</em>, I—!” Marco screamed before he was suddenly silenced. The magical aura surrounding him changed in synchronization with his eyes, and both suddenly emanated a bright green glow.</p><p>“Now, where were we?” Marco’s voice bellowed smoothly as Toffee took over once more.</p><p>“<em>NO!</em>” Star screamed in anger.</p><p>The two began to bolt around the room midair, exchanging a series of multicolored blasts. Marco—or rather, Toffee—managed to expertly dodge Star’s array of attacks, but it was clear to Star that both Marco and Toffee’s combined inexperience with wielding magic, especially without the wand, put them at a severe disadvantage against her. Star increased the speed of her attacks, giving him scarcely a second between each spell, until it was apparent that she was beginning to wear him down. With a wordless shout, Star sent one massive beam of sparkling red lightening straight toward Marco’s torso. He managed to recover from her previous barrage just in time to see it coming: he raised his arms and crossed them against his chest in defense, and the moment the spell collided with him, he wrenched his arms apart and sent the explosion of light ricocheting off of him. His deflection caused the spell to barrel right back at Star, and the force of the unexpected, electrified blow blasted her backwards. The air rushed out of her lungs as she felt herself slam against hard stone. Star’s body skidded down the wall until she finally collapsed onto the magic-drenched floor below.</p><p>Dark spots danced across her vision as Star struggled to remain conscious. She felt her wings fold in on themselves and wilt as her butterfly form faded away, returning her to her mewman physique. When Star’s eyes finally began to refocus, Marco was already fluttering down towards her. His feet made contact with the ground and he loomed over her with a green-stained stare that was laced with apathy and determination. He crouched down towards her without a word. In an effortless gesture, Marco pulled the wand out from Star’s feeble grasp as she struggled to lift herself off the floor. Star watched as the wand transformed back into its green, winged, and spiked appearance in his hand. She could have sworn she saw the beginnings of a smile grace his lips before Marco proceeded to point the wand at her and engulfed her in an explosion of emerald light.</p><p>“What the—?!” Star grunted, thrashing wildly against the glowing bands of light now constricting her arms and midsection. She tried to use her unbound legs to hoist herself up and away from him, but Star was significantly weakened, and her legs merely flailed in vain.</p><p>The next thing she knew, Marco—still bearing Toffee’s deadpan green gaze—firmly tugged at the wand, which was magically tethered to the bands constraining Star, and began to drag her across the floor. Star powerlessly watched as the tower leading up to the Magic well loomed closer.</p><p>“Let me <em>go!</em>” she shrieked, still trying to thrash out of spell’s binds, albeit weakly. “Marco, <em>please!</em>  Y-You can fight this! Come <em>on</em>, snap out of it!” She pleaded.</p><p>He merely continued to drag her up the stone staircase leading up to the Magic well, causing Star to roughly smack against each step as they went. She was disoriented, terrified, and significantly weakened; no matter how hard she strained to reach the scissors, Star couldn’t manage free her arms from the magic constraining her enough to release them from her pocket. She was left helpless as Marco mounted the final few steps with her in tow. When he reached the top of the tower, he hoisted Star over his shoulder with surprising ease before dangling the still-bound, former princess over the well with his array of hands.</p><p>Star was paralyzed with fear and shock. She had no idea what to do in this moment. Her desperate, imploring gaze met Marco’s massive, sickly green eyes.</p><p>“<em>Nononono!</em>  Toffee, <em>please</em> don’t do this!” She shouted with a quivering, breathless voice.</p><p>“Shall we?” Marco intoned lifelessly.</p><p>Star let out a piercing scream as Marco released his grasp and sent her plummeting down the well.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*IMPORTANT: Marco’s "magical girl transformation" (as I love to call it) / butterfly form is directly based off of an incredible piece of fan art by aweirdlatina on Instagram &gt;&gt; https://www.instagram.com/p/BxoYEJVBNLD/ This stunning drawing was a HUGE inspiration for writing this fic, and I couldn’t imagine having Marco’s butterfly form any other way… Even if I was totally debating making it resemble his Turdina battle attire, which I adore, naturally. I am so tempted to write an alternate Turdina butterfly transformation, you have no idea. It was a tough choice, believe me. So THANK YOU, aweirdlatina! I would highly recommend giving them a follow on insta :) </p><p>*Toffee’s knowledge about the Blood Moon Curse: just as a refresher on some of the theories I mentioned in previous chapters, I strongly believe that Toffee knew about the Blood Moon Curse in canon. Firstly, because he was introduced the episode DIRECTLY following season 1’s “Blood Moon Ball” episode. Secondly, because in that episode, the fortune cookie he had Boo Fly put in Star’s purse read: “Love is always the answer,” which cannot be a coincidence given the fact that their souls were JUST bound. Lastly, because he knew that kidnapping and nearly killing Marco would get Star to destroy the wand at the end of season 1. Now, I  know that the latter piece of evidence seems obvious (since they’re best friends), but if you think about the fortune cookie he gave her prior, it sure seems like he knew how close their *literal* bond was beforehand. Thus, my Celena and Toffee conspiracy theory was born.</p><p>*Hot DAMN was it ever hard to write Toffee’s voice, especially while having the lines coming out of Marco’s mouth. He is a monster of few words, so getting Star to coerce him into divulging information was stressful as heck. I hope it felt somewhat true to character for you all.</p><p>*P.S. Did anyone catch my Gravity Falls reference? I hate how much I laughed while writing it. It also gave me an excuse to re-watch the “Sock Opera” episode… You know, for research.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Cleaved</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The beginning of the end...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Finally, we arrive at the penultimate chapter! As always, I love hearing your feedback, theories, and seeing those good good kudos.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Star’s body crashed to the ground with a painful <em>thud</em>. Swirls of purple and gold took over her vision as she struggled to recover from the fall. Her head eventually caught up with her eyes, and she blinked rapidly as the Magic’s resplendent landscape came into focus. The first thing Star noticed was that the situation had gotten significantly worse: what were once mere streams of corrupted magic had become massive pools, and there was almost more purple than gold to be seen. Star had landed in one of the last few golden patches remaining, where she began to thrash wildly, struggling to break free from the magical green bonds wrapped around her.</p><p>Star heard a soft splash in the distance and her head whipped toward the sound. Marco, with his massive crimson and black wings, had fluttered down gracefully and landed a few paces ahead of her. He began to take a few slow, calculated steps; his posture was pin straight and severe as he wandered around, taking in the violet-drenched dimension. Much to Star’s dismay, each step Marco took left a sickly, dark green footprint, which then began to corrupt the already purple magic around him. <em>Oh no, nononono not again… It’s just like the last time Toffee was here!</em>  Star thought in a panic as she watched the green corruption continue to worsen with each step Toffee took in Marco’s body.</p><p>Marco looked down at the rivers below him and lifted a foot with a grimace, shaking off some of the now blackish green magic from his boot. “I really do hate this place,” he muttered to no one in particular. Then he turned and finally looked at Star with an unreadable, green gaze.</p><p>Star used every ounce of remaining strength she had to break out of the spell confining her, which was, thankfully, no longer attached to Marco’s wand. A glimmer of hope blossomed through her as she felt the bonds start to give, and with one final push Star felt them give way altogether. She sat up the moment her arms were free, but was suddenly overcome by a wave of disorienting vertigo. <em>Jeesh, how tight was that spell?!</em>  She wondered to herself, finding it difficult to think through the clouds beginning to envelop her mind. She looked down as the green ribbons of light surrounding her began to fade into smoke and disappear. <em>What…? What was that? What just happened?</em>  Star thought in confusion, suddenly unable to remember why she had been tied up in the first place. In fact, Star had no idea where she was, or how she had gotten here.</p><p>She only realized what was happening to her by the time it was too late. Having exhausted herself by trying to break free from Toffee’s binds, Star was experiencing the mind-altering effects of the Magic at an accelerated speed. The sparkles of pink and purplish light twinkling at the edges of her vision came together in a kaleidoscope before her eyes, and Star’s mind went completely blank.</p><p>“Star?!” An unknown voice called out.</p><p>Star, still seated in a pool of gold and blackish green, looked up towards the source of the noise. A short distance away from her stood a boy—or something vaguely resembling a boy—with multiple arms and a tremendous pair of wings. The well-dressed, winged stranger was staring at her with panicked eyes that seemed to flicker from green to white. Star’s absent mind drank him in wordlessly, and she watched him with her mouth hanging agape. She had no idea who he could be—she didn’t even know who <em>she</em> was at the moment—yet she was completely mesmerized by the boy’s strange, otherworldly beauty.</p><p>“<em>Whoooaaaa</em>. Pretty boy,” she whispered under her breath.</p><p>The boy, meanwhile, began to back away from her, his eyes still flashing from green to white, then back to green. He let out a frustrated grunt as he furiously shook his head. “Stop! I won’t hurt her!” He seemed to growl to himself. As he did, purple light began to swirl around him, and the crescent-shaped marks on his cheeks suddenly glowed with a furious red as he scrunched his eyes shut in concentration. When he opened them, all the lights had seemed to fade away, and Star marveled at the deep brown gaze that met hers. She absently wondered why he looked so sad.</p><p>“Star!” The boy suddenly shouted, racing towards her. Star watched in awe as the shallow water below him changed from near black to a slightly lighter purple with every step he took. By the time he arrived and knelt down across from her, every last drop of magic surrounding them became engulfed by purple, leaving not a single trace of green or gold in sight.</p><p>“Are you okay?!” He exclaimed, wrapping her up in his six arms and enveloping her in a firm yet comfortable hug. “I’m here, i-it’s me. It’s okay. We’re okay,” the boy whispered as he pulled away from the hug with a soft gaze and a sorrowful, cracking voice. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry, Star. I won’t let him hurt you again,” he vowed sincerely, cupping her cheek with one of his hands. “But I still need your help. You’re gonna help me, right?” He nodded encouragingly with two imploring, desperate eyes.</p><p>Star’s head nodded in response, absently mirroring the boy. <em>He keeps calling me Star… I guess that must be my name.</em></p><p>“Okay, but… Who <em>are</em> you?” Star asked, her glassy eyes wide with bewilderment.</p><p>Hurt flashed across the boy’s features. “Oh no…” He whispered. He took both of her hands in four of his. Star saw that he was holding some kind of spiked object in one of his hands. “I-it’s me, it’s Marco. Your Marco. Your…” His voice cracked as he trailed off. Marco looked down as if he were conflicted about his choice of wording. “… <em>Friend</em>. I’m your best friend. Don’t you remember me?”</p><p>“Oh. <em>Marco?”  </em>Star said as she tested out the name, feeling the way it rolled across her tongue. Something about it—about <em>him</em>—made her stomach jump, and not necessarily in the good way. Star began to back away from him on instinct, feeling a glimmer of ominous recognition in the back of her mind.</p><p>Marco reached out for her, still kneeling on the ground. “I-It’s okay! This is all gonna be over soon, I promise. We’ll be okay,” he consoled her. Star’s eyes were drawn to a lone tear rolling down the center of his right cheek, splicing through the shape of a red crescent moon. Something about the desperate, sorrowful look in his eyes made Star doubt his words. He still looked so scared.</p><p>“Okay,” Star murmured unsurely, but she was still too powerless to think of a reason not to trust him.  </p><p>Marco sighed in relief. “Now, I need you to say a spell with me,” he explained with an edge of urgency. He clasped Star’s hands in his once more and brought them both up to a standing position. “It’s the one that destroys the wand. Can you try to remember it? I <em>really</em> need you to remember, Star,” he pleaded.</p><p>Star blinked once, then twice. “I don’t know what those words mean,” she replied with a dopey smile.</p><p>Marco let out a frustrated groan. “C’mon, Star, <em>try</em> for me! Just—!” Star watched in mindless confusion as a ball of fire suddenly soared over her shoulder and collided with the boy’s chest, sending him sailing backwards through the air and away from her.</p><p>“Goodbye, beautiful stranger!” Star called out with a wave.</p><p>Her mind had already begun to wander elsewhere when a greyish-white arm appeared out of nowhere and shoved a spoon into her mouth. Star swallowed the unknown substance and spluttered out a series of coughs. “<em>Ugh</em>, what <em>is</em> this junk?!” She exclaimed, pulling the spoon from her mouth and examining it. “Wha—Pudding? Really?!”</p><p>“You’re gonna need it. Keep eating,” a familiar voice barked. Hekapoo stepped out from a flaming portal and stood beside Star, offering her a clear container full of the chocolatey snack.</p><p>“Hekapoo?! What are you—? Wait, Hekapoo! It’s you!” Star exclaimed, realizing that her memory was suddenly coming back to her. She looked down at the spoon and recognized what the pudding had just done. Star brought her free hand up to her forehead, facepalming in frustration. “You have to be kidding me…” She groaned at the absurdity of the situation, remembering when Glossaryck had tried to offer her pudding earlier, before she went after Marco and ended up here.</p><p>Hekapoo merely shrugged and handed her another container, which Star dutifully, albeit begrudgingly, scarfed down. A splash resounded off in the distance, and the two bystanders jumped at the sight of Marco rising from the Magic’s waters and darting into the air with crimson wings outspread.  Electric green light was glowing from the spiked wand in his hand. Hekapoo sprung into action without a moment of delay, cloning herself into an army of lookalikes who darted towards Marco, armed with scissor blades and fistfuls of fire. The original Hekapoo seemed to stop herself before following after the rest of her clones and whipped toward Star with a look of outrage and shock.</p><p>“What’s going on?!” Hekapoo shouted at Star while her clones began to surround Marco off in the distance, blasting him with orange and yellow fireballs over and over again, which he seemed to dodge with varied success.</p><p>“It’s Toffee! He and Celena cursed him,” Star explained, cringing as she watched Marco falter visibly after taking a pretty bad hit from one of the clones.</p><p><em>“WHAT?!”</em> Hekapoo screeched in furious dismay while manifesting a few more clones to send out into the battle.</p><p>Star threw her hands up. “He cursed him! H-He’s in his head!”</p><p>“How did you let this happen?!” Hekapoo reprimanded with a shout. Star could tell she was merely lashing out at her for convenience. She knew Hekapoo didn’t necessarily like her, and Star could say with complete certainty that the feeling was mutual. Star was no ally to the High Commission, and Hekapoo—even though she was undeniably the least problematic of the bunch, Moon included—was no exception. Hekapoo had taken part in unjustly imprisoning Eclipsa and Globgor for hundreds of years, and was even still contriving with her mother to remove Eclipsa from power. But Star also knew how much Hekapoo cared for Marco—in fact, Star often actively tried <em>not</em> to think about how close he and Hekapoo had probably become over the last few decades of Marco’s life. Somehow, Marco had been able to convince Hekapoo not to report Star to the High Commission when she was first learning how to use her butterfly form and was sleep-portalling uncontrollably. Hekapoo had even come to Earth a few days ago to cryptically warn Marco to stay away from Mewni, yet even that was most likely done to ensure that he and Star wouldn’t get in the way of Moon and Mina’s attack. Star knew that—somewhere deep, deep down inside of her—Hekapoo had a conscience, at least when it came to Marco. Even though she was aware that Hekapoo was probably just being irrationally protective over Marco at the moment by yelling at her, it did nothing to lessen the spark of competitive anger that crested within Star’s chest.</p><p>“How is this <em>my</em> fault?! I’m trying my best here!” Star exclaimed. “It’s not like you’ve been much help lately! Oh, <em>right</em>, ‘cause you’ve been too busy helping my mom and Mina take over the world!” The sound of the clones’ and Marco’s frustrated shouts swirled around the arguing pair.</p><p>“<em>Ugh</em>, whatever!” Hekapoo growled, darting off towards the commotion almost too quickly for Star too see. Hekapoo instantly appeared behind Marco’s hovering form and shot him in the back with a ray of hot orange light. Marco fell to the ground, but quickly stood back up and used the wand to send a shower of blazing green spikes whizzing towards his numerous attackers, taking out a sizeable group of clones in the process. In response, Hekapoo let out a shriek and tripled the number of clones surrounding Marco, completely entrapping him. “Well, can you get rid of Toffee or not?!” Hekapoo shouted back at Star.</p><p>“Maybe! I don’t know yet, but I have an idea!” Star called out. “I just have to get him out of here! He’s too powerful with Marco’s magic right now!”</p><p>The original Hekapoo stopped in her tracks and hesitated with her back turned to Star, panting as she watched her clones continue to subdue her friend. “Marco’s magic,” she murmured to herself with a stern yet wistful voice.</p><p>Star felt a wave of empathy wash over her. She had a pretty good idea of the range of shock, wonder, and fear Hekapoo was probably feeling at the moment. She jogged up and stood at Hekapoo’s side, watching the battle rage on before them. Star jumped at the sound of a fierce snarl rumbling up from Hekapoo’s throat.</p><p>“You’d better be right,” the magical being growled at Star before dropping into a low stance and darting back into the fight. Star stayed back and took a few more moments to regain her strength. She continued to snack on the pudding, enraptured by the sight before her.</p><p>In a dizzying array of movement, the Hekapoo army began to take turns running at Marco: some with blades up, others popping in and out of portals in ambush, and others even slapping at the back of his head, repeatedly singeing a noticeable bald spot into his hair. The barrage of attacks only got faster and faster until finally what Star would assume was the original Hekapoo ducked close to the ground and ran at Marco—she proceed to kick his legs out from underneath him with a perfectly executed spin. Marco went down with a loud <em>crash</em>, and Star watched in shock as his head slammed into the magic-soaked ground, causing the lights behind his gaze to flicker out. His eyes rolled back into his head and closed, and the wand in his hand lost its menacing glow.</p><p>The clones disappeared and retreated into the original Hekapoo, who was looming over the crumpled over boy with an unreadable gaze. “Idiot,” she muttered under her breath angrily. Her features remained controlled as her eyes raked over him, taking in Marco’s butterfly form, complete with the two crescent moons that shone from each cheek.</p><p>“MARCO!” Star screamed, racing over to tend to her fallen friend. She crouched down and carefully flipped him over in her arms.</p><p>“He’ll be fine, he’s just knocked out. You’re welcome,” Hekapoo retorted in a smooth, stern voice. Wasting no time, she opened a flaming portal and partially stepped into it, then turned back to Star. “I have to go. <em>Hurry,”</em> She commanded, backing into the portal and disappearing without another word.</p><p>“Thanks,” Star said into the empty space with a tight smile. At this point, she didn’t even want to know what Hekapoo was racing off to do.</p><p>Star turned her head back towards the half-butterfly, half-human boy cradled in her arms. Much to her relief, she watched as his princely attire and butterfly form faded away as Marco returned to the torn and tattered suit he had been formerly wearing. The last article of clothing to transform was his scarf, which turned back into a faintly glowing red necktie, nearly identical to the one Toffee used to wear. Unfortunately, the Magic also seemed to respond to Marco’s transformation; the dark purple pools surrounding him and Star were beginning to ripple and billow. And when Star looked up, the dimension’s normally pinkish sky began to cloud over, while a freezing wind raced down from above as if a tremendous storm were approaching.</p><p>“Oh, dang. That is <em>not</em> good…” Star said under her breath, which was barely audible over the sounds of the roaring wind and rushing waters.</p><p>She looked down at her unconscious friend and stared at the faintly glowing red tie hanging from his white shirt collar. Star still didn’t know how to get the recently transformed, albeit still-cursed object off of him. <em>I can’t just grab it, can I? What if I get cursed? Or what if it hurts Marco?</em>  Her worries were interrupted by a sudden gust of wind, followed by a massive wave crashing down beside her and Marco and just barely missing them. Star had officially run out of time. She would have to get Marco away from the Realm of Magic and into the Underworld with Toffee’s curse still afflicting him. She didn’t have a choice—she would have to put Tom and Janna in danger right alongside her.</p><p>Star reached down and took the wand out of one of Marco’s hands, scooped his limp body up into her lap, and grabbed her mother’s dimensional scissors out of her pocket. With a resounding <em>rip</em>, Star spliced open a rift underneath her and Marco, and the two fell through.</p>
<hr/><p>Star’s backside landed firmly on the cold, obsidian floor. Marco, on the other hand, was awkwardly sprawled out over her lower half, still unconscious. As she tried to pull her legs out from under her surprisingly heavy friend, she took in their dim, firelit surroundings. If memory served her right, it appeared as though they were in the grand foyer of the Lucitors’ castle. Given the early hour of the day—even if they were currently in the sunless Underworld—no one seemed to be around, luckily for Star. Less lucky, however, was the fact that she ended up <em>here</em>, and not anywhere near Tom and Janna.</p><p>“Ugh, great. Just great,” Star quietly lamented to herself. <em>I don’t even have my phone on me either… And I doubt Marco has his,</em> she thought, trying to come up with some way to contact her friends. She didn’t want to use up what little power she had from the deteriorating Magic on another All-Seeing Eye spell either, so she had very few ideas on what to do next—she had no ideas, to be exact.</p><p>“Okay first off… You gotta go, Marco,” Star grunted out, eventually managing to pry her best friend off her legs and push him onto the ground beside her. Star cringed as his body slumped onto the floor face first, but he still appeared to be out cold. She let out a sigh of relief—Marco causing a scene and potential damage in the Underworld was the last thing she needed at the moment.</p><p>Just then, a massive column of flame suddenly appeared on the other side of the room from her. Star slowly stood up, shielding her eyes from the blaze until it subsided. An ornate black elevator—which was being hoisted up through a hole in the floor by a winged red demon whose head and arms were confined by wooden stocks—revealed itself from behind the flames. A soft <em>ding!</em> suddenly filled the castle’s foyer, and out of the elevator doors strode Tom.</p><p>“Tom!” Star whispered in excitement.</p><p>“Star! You’re here!” Tom exclaimed loudly.</p><p>Star winced and ran up to cover her ex boyfriend’s mouth. “Shhhhh, Tom! Look,” she reprimanded in a hushed voice, nodding over her shoulder at their passed-out friend who remained facedown on the floor, sprawled out in a visibly uncomfortable pose.</p><p>“What happened?!” Tom exclaimed, thankfully, in a whisper. He and Star began to slowly walk over to Marco.</p><p>“I’ll explain later. Quick, let’s get him off the floor,” Star said hurriedly, reaching down to attempt to lift Marco. Tom bent down to help her, grabbing one of Marco’s arms and wrapping it around his shoulders, while Star did the same with Marco’s other side. They hoisted him up in unison and began to trudge across the obsidian floor and toward the elevator with Marco dangling between them, his disheveled and partially singed head of hair lolling forward as they went.</p><p>“Thank goodness you found me, because I had <em>no</em> idea where that stone thingy actually was,” said Star gratefully.</p><p>“The Severing Stone,” Tom corrected her. “Yeah, don’t sweat it. When you didn’t turn up after a while, I figured that you might have gotten lost,” said Tom as the trio entered the elevator.</p><p>The elevator doors closed and the contraption was engulfed by a column of flame once again. Star let out a long, harrowed exhale. A faint melody drifted throughout the elevator as it began its long descent, and Star and Tom fell into a tense bout of silence. The minutes stretched on as the two—along with their unconscious companion—rode on without a word.</p><p>Tom was the first to speak up. “Sooooo, are ya gonna tell me what happened back there?” He asked at a quiet, but still conversational volume. His gaze flickered to Marco, then back to her.</p><p><em>Okay, he asked for it…</em> Star took a deep breath and began her story.</p><p>“Well, I found out that not only are my mom and Mina planning to attack Eclipsa and take over the kingdom, but that they are also using some freaky unkillable army to do it. Then I found Marco, and I tried to stall him by getting him close to the Magic Realm without actually taking him there, but that kinda backfired on me a bit because I ended up having to fight off Toffee, who’s in Marco’s head and controlling him because he cursed Marco with the help of my great-great grandma, Celena, over a hundred years ago. Oh, and—this is good—somehow both Celena and Toffee worked together to make sure Marco and I got cursed by the Blood Moon, so honestly don’t even feel bad about that one. But <em>then</em> I tried to attack Toffee, which was <em>real</em> stupid because Marco, or Toffee or whatever, totally kicked my butt because apparently Marco can turn into a butterfly like me, since he has my great-great grandma’s powers. But then ‘Marffee’—you know, like Marco-Toffee? Trust me, it’s <em>way</em> easier to just say ‘Marffee’—anyway, he threw me down the well and I woke up in the Magic dimension, where Hekapoo found me and fought off Marco—which was actually pretty cool to watch, not gonna lie—but she knocked him out and he changed back into a human. Then, I used the scissors to get us <em>here</em>—because it turns out I had <em>no</em> idea where the Severing Stone actually was, even though you totally tried your best to describe it to me—”</p><p>“Well, I mean—” Tom tried to interject.</p><p>“Oh, yeah! And <em>now</em> we have to figure out how to get this freaky tie off of Marco (because that’s how Toffee is controlling him), in hopes that it will set Marco free and <em>finally</em> kill Toffee for good this time. All so that Marco and I can destroy the entire Magic dimension together, which we have to do thanks to some freaky prophecy that my great-great-great grandma—a different grandma, not the one who cursed Marco—came up with in a riddle once. And that’s, uh, that’s pretty much it.”</p><p>Tom’s three eyes were wide and unblinking. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. “Ah. Wow. Well, alright,” he rambled awkwardly. A few more beats of silence went by before he spoke up again. “Is... Is your life always like this?”</p><p>“Yep, pretty much,” Star sighed, sending a deadpan stare towards elevator doors ahead of her. They both stayed staring straight ahead for awhile, flanking their passed-out friend on either side.</p><p>“Huh. Wow…” said Tom, letting out a slow whistle. “That is <em>really</em> rough. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Yeah, me too,” Star replied with an exasperated voice. Another few beats of silence passed between them.</p><p>“You know, I never even met the guy,” Tom suddenly mused aloud.</p><p>Star did a double take. Her gaze narrowed and she looked over top of Marco’s drooping head towards Tom. “What?” She asked.</p><p>“Toffee, yeah,” Tom shrugged, which made Marco’s weight shift uncomfortably onto Star for a short moment. “I mean, like, I know that he almost killed you guys a couple of times—”</p><p>“—After <em>actually</em> killing my grandma. And Lekmet. And nearly the rest of the High Commission,” Star interjected matter-of-factly.</p><p>“Right, of course. But, I dunno, I guess it’s just kind of crazy that I was so far removed from everything, y’know? Like where <em>was</em> I during all of that? What was I even up to?”</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t invite you, <em>Tom</em>,” Star whispered in annoyance. “Did you wanna have a chat with him now? Here, let’s wake Marco up and ask him to bring Toffee back. I’m sure he would <em>love</em> to meet you and then, y’know, probably kill you!” She exclaimed quietly. She couldn’t believe how easy it was for her and Tom to slip back into their usual bickering, whether they were in a relationship or not.</p><p>“No, I obviously don’t want that! Jeez, I was just making conversation,” Tom said defensively.</p><p>“Ugh, just forget it,” Star groaned. She just wanted to let the rest of the unnaturally long elevator ride pass in silence. The last thing she wanted was to wake Marco up before she was ready to face him again. Star’s former wish, however, was thwarted when Tom began to shift beside her. Star watched as he started stretching his free arm upwards and arching his back, letting out a soft groan of relief as he did. His awkward bout of stretching sent most of Marco’s weight pressing into Star’s side.</p><p>“Tom! Stop doing that weird stretching thing!” Star whisper-yelled. Tom, unfortunately, jumped at the sound of her sudden aggressive outburst and accidentally released his grip on Marco. Star couldn’t adjust her hold on him in time, and their suit-clad friend slipped out of their grasps and plummeted down onto the elevator floor.</p><p>“Tom!” Star screeched softly.</p><p>“Hey, watch it in there!” The demon conveying them shouted from atop the elevator.</p><p>“S-Sorry, sorry!” Called Tom still somewhat quietly. He and Star then proceeded to bend over, scrambling to hoist Marco back up into a somewhat standing position. When it was clear that Marco’s dead weight was too much for them to get him back into his former position, Tom ended up lifting Marco’s upper half while Star held up his legs. As the two finally got Marco into a somewhat manageable position, the elevator came to a halt, and the doors opened with a final <em>ding!</em></p><p>Star found herself in a dark, cavernous place. A good distance ahead of her stretched a long, wooden bridge that dangled ominously over a large chasm, the other side of which contained a glowing object atop a large platform. Standing casually just ahead of the bridge, however, stood Janna.</p><p>“‘Sup?” The brunette acknowledged, never once raising her eyes from her phone as she continued to text.</p><p>“Hey, Janna,” Star greeted breathlessly as her and Tom began to shuffle out of the elevator with Marco suspended between them.</p><p>“Uh, Janna, where did those two guys go? The ones who were guarding the bridge?” Tom asked Janna wearily as they approached the human.</p><p>“Meh, don’t worry about it,” Janna shrugged dismissively, finally looking up from her phone as she shoved it back into her skirt pocket. Tom stared at her with a look of troubled apprehension. “So, what happened to Diaz?” Janna asked as her friends approached.</p><p>“Long story,” Star replied. “So, basically Marco got cursed by my great-great grandma and—”</p><p>“Star?” Tom interrupted. “Shouldn’t we try to hurry before Marco wakes up?” He asked worriedly.</p><p>“Yes, right. Okay, so where is this stone we gotta use?” Star asked, focusing back on the urgent task at hand.</p><p>Janna pointed a thumb over her shoulder. “Across this bridge, I guess.”</p><p>“Alright, let’s do this,” said Star. She and Tom stepped out on to the bridge with Marco cradled between them. Star still held his legs while Tom continued to support Marco’s upper half.</p><p>“Don’t think we’re done talking about whatever you did to those demons back there,” Tom warned Janna, who was walking behind him while staring through the gaps in the unstable wooden bridge and down into the fiery, bottomless chasm with rapt fascination. Star and Tom suddenly felt Marco’s weight lessen, and found that Janna had appeared beside them. She had cupped her hands underneath him and was lifting him up by his backside.</p><p>“Janna! Let go of Marco’s butt!” Star whispered sternly, her voice echoing throughout the cavernous chamber.</p><p>“What? It looked heavy,” Janna shrugged, removing her hands and letting Marco’s weight sag down between Star and Tom once more. She raised her hands in surrender and walked on ahead, nearing the end of the bridge. “Jeez, so possessive. Suit yourself.”</p><p>Star rolled her eyes at her friend but trudged on. After another minute of careful shuffling, Star and Tom finally crossed the bridge and met Janna on the other side. Ahead of them stood a magnificent glowing stone atop some type of platform.</p><p>“Well, here it is, the Severing Stone,” said Tom resolutely.</p><p>“Ta-da,” drawled Janna as they approached her.</p><p>Stopping just ahead of the stone’s platform, Star and Tom slowly set Marco down on the hard ground between them, where their friend’s body sagged and crumpled over onto his side, still unconscious. Janna began to slink over to where Marco was laying, but Tom managed to grab her shoulders and place her on the other side of him before she could make contact. Janna crossed her arms and rolled her eyes in defeat.</p><p>Tom turned to Star. “Okay, so you said that you need to get the tie off of him, right? And that’ll get rid of Toffee?” He asked.</p><p>“Whoa, what?” Asked Janna.</p><p>“Yeah, Toffee and my great-great grandma cursed Marco with the tie, like, over a hundred years ago or something, and now he wants me and the wand so that he can destroy the Magic. It’s a whole thing,” Star explained to Janna hurriedly, taking the wand—which was currently designed especially for her—out of her pocket and giving it a little shake as she spoke, as if to elucidate her point.</p><p>“So, what’s the big deal, then?” Tom asked. “Why don’t we just take it off of him?” He then began to reach down towards Marco’s fallen form.</p><p><em>“NO!”</em> Star and Janna shouted in unison. Star clamped a hand over her mouth, praying that they hadn’t been loud enough to wake him.</p><p>“Tom, you have no idea what that thing could do to you!” Star exclaimed in a much quieter voice. “Do you want to get cursed, too?!”</p><p>Tom stood back up and took a small step away from Marco. “What? No! I just—”</p><p>“I mean, I’d be down to see what happens,” Janna quipped with a shrug. “But seriously, dude, do <em>not</em> touch that thing,” she added in a more serious tone.</p><p>“Well, okay, does anyone have a better idea th—?”</p><p>Tom’s question was cut off by a sudden gasp echoing throughout the chamber. The three friends watched in shock as Marco suddenly sat up from his place on the floor in the middle of where they all stood. His hair was sticking up at various angles, and his brown eyes were wide and darting around in confusion.</p><p>“What the heck?! Where am I?” His head whipped up towards his friends and then around in a panic. “Tom? Janna? Wait, where’s Hekapoo? Where’s—?!” He stopped his frantic questions the moment his eyes landed on Star, who still happened to be holding the wand, which was now directly in Marco’s line of sight. Marco’s gaze leveled on the pink and purple object, and his expression turned suddenly determined. “Star…” Marco warned as he reached out a hand towards her.</p><p>Tom was on top of him in the blink of an eye.</p><p>“OH, NO YOU DON’T!” Tom shouted, struggling to keep Marco pinned to the cave’s hard stone ground.</p><p>“TOM! STOP IT!” Marco screeched as the two boys began to wrestle, exchanging a series of slaps and shoves as they rolled around on the ground. “STAR! GET HIM OFF OF ME!”</p><p>“Marco, you need to stop!” Star called to him as the boys continued to fight. “We’re just trying to help you! Then we can figure out how to do this together!”</p><p>“No! I have to do this!” Marco yelled between grunts as he fought to wriggle out from under Tom, who was currently straddling Marco and smushing his face into the floor. “I have to destroy it—he won’t leave me alone until I do! He’ll hurt you again! <em>PLEASE</em>, Star, you have to help me do this!” He called out desperately. He then managed to flip Tom off of him, but the demon merely tackled him from behind, and the boys continued to roll around.</p><p>Star felt Janna grab at her arm. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Janna said with a smirk, raising two of her of fingers and bringing them together.</p><p>“No, wait!” Star exclaimed, roughly smacking Janna’s hand down before she could snap her fingers. “We need him awake!”</p><p>Janna conceded to Star’s wishes, but not without skepticism. “Okaaaay, but how are we gonna deal with <em>this</em>, then?” Janna asked. The two girls looked over the grappling boys with unimpressed stares as they both tried to think of a solution. “So, is it Toffee who’s doing this right now, or…?” Janna asked in the meantime, nodding at Marco.</p><p>Star took a moment to try and get a look at Marco’s eyes, which were currently squinting as him and Tom exchanged a frantic flurry of slaps and shrieks. Star deadpanned back towards Janna. “I’m gonna say no.”</p><p>Janna let out a chuckle as Marco exclaimed, “Not the <em>face</em>, Tom!” in a high-pitched shout.</p><p>“Yep, that’s definitely our Marco,” said Janna with a wry smile. She then pulled out her phone and began to record the two boys as they wrestled.</p><p>Tom suddenly picked Marco up and scooped him into an awkward, half-formed headlock, somehow hooking his arm under one of Marco’s armpits. Marco, in the meantime, began flailing his partially constricted arms about, causing him to smack the palm of his hand onto the tip of one of Tom’s horns.</p><p><em>“OAAHHH!”</em>  Marco shrieked, now flailing his hand about to shake off the pain.</p><p>“THEN STOP STRUGGLING, MARCO!” Tom whined loudly, clearly having a difficult time keeping Marco contained.</p><p>“THEN. GET. OFF. OF. ME!” Marco yelled as he thrashed his legs about, still caught in the awkward grappling hold.</p><p>“NO!” Shouted Tom.</p><p><em>“TOM!”</em>  Marco screeched in response.</p><p>Star let out a long sigh and shook her head. She had a hard time believing how much time she had spent pining over these two, respectively. She had an even harder time reminding herself that Marco was technically almost twice Tom’s age.</p><p>“Okay, Janna. We gotta figure out how to get that cursed tie off of him before Toffee takes over again. Do you have any idea how to do that without any of us getting hurt or cursed or whatever?” Star asked her friend.</p><p>“Hmmm… Well, all we have to do is take off the tie, right? I could just do it myself with this,” she suggested, casually pulling at a long chain around her neck until a bulky, silver and black pendant popped out from the top of her shirt. “It’s a protective charm. I’ve always got it on me, that’s why I never take this baby off,” she added, twirling the teardrop-shaped pendant in her fingers.</p><p>Tom’s head popped up between the girls from where he and Marco were still entangled on the floor. “What necklace? You never have a necklace on,” he noted. Marco quickly responded by shoving Tom onto his stomach and diving onto him.</p><p>“Wait, Janna owns jewelry?” Marco asked, pausing his attempts to pin Tom’s arms behind his back for only a mere moment before continuing his struggle. Tom proceeded to reach up and pull at Marco’s hair, sending the brown-haired boy toppling over with a shrill shout.</p><p>“Yeah, Janna, I have literally never seen you wear that thing,” added Star, echoing the boys’ confusion.</p><p>Janna merely shrugged in response to her friends’ skepticism. “I dunno what to tell you guys.”</p><p>Star grabbed Janna’s elbow and pulled her away from the grappling boys and out of earshot. “Okay, so what does it do?”</p><p>“Well, it basically just makes sure dark magic won’t affect me… Not unless I want it to, that is,” she added with a slight wiggle of her eyebrows. “I’m pretty sure it protects me from curses, too.”</p><p>“Are you sure about this?” Star asked her friend with a worried tone. “We can try to come up with something else.”</p><p>“Dude, I don’t think we have any better options right now,” replied Janna. She took a deep breath, tucked the necklace back into her shirt, and reached up to adjust her beanie in preparation. “It’s worth a shot.” She then walked over to the boys. “Okay, Tom, hold him still,” she ordered calmly.</p><p>Tom managed to untangle himself from Marco’s grasp and pin his friend’s arms to the ground above his head. Marco’s legs and midsection, however, were still free, and he thrashed them about wildly. “GUYS! <em>C’mon</em>, let me GO!” Marco shouted, still kicking unrelentingly.</p><p>“Star, I may need you, too!” Janna called over her shoulder. Star ran over and jumped down, dropping her weight onto Marco’s legs and holding his lower half in place.</p><p>Marco’s thrashing only got more desperate and unruly; no matter how much Janna tried, she still couldn’t grab a firm enough hold on the tie hanging from his neck. The four grappled with each other for a few minutes before Janna finally got fed up.</p><p>“That’s it!” Janna announced. She pressed her left hand down firmly on Marco’s stomach, holding him in position as best she could as she raised her right hand. “Chicken butt,” she said calmly with a snap.</p><p>Marco’s body went limp and his eyes fluttered closed almost instantaneously. His three friends sighed in relief.</p><p>“Alright, let’s do this,” said Janna as she finally got hold of the tie. Before she had the chance to tug at the object, Janna happened to look up at Marco’s face, only to find that his eyes had shot open and were now glowing with a fierce green light.</p><p>“Oh, that’s not good,” said Janna with a wide-eyed stare.</p><p>“IT’S TOFFEE!” Star screamed. She jumped back and off Marco’s legs, pulling Janna up with her.</p><p>Marco’s butterfly wings sprang from his back the moment the words left Star’s mouth, and he instantly transformed on the spot. The force of his wings opening sent Tom, who had been kneeling near Marco’s head, soaring through the air and toward the far side of the Severing Stone. With a flap of his massive crimson wings, Marco slowly rose from the ground and hovered just a few feet in the air, while his six hands began to glow a sickly green. His menacing gaze landed on the two girls standing before him. Star shoved Janna behind her and grasped the wand in her hands, facing her possessed best friend head on. She had no idea if she even had enough magic to work with, but she would have to do the best with what she had.</p><p>Before either of them could make a move, however, Tom rose into the air behind Marco, his three eyes and two hands ablaze with fury. Without a moment of delay, Tom sent a ball of fire barreling towards Marco’s back. It just barely grazed the tips of his wings before sailing off into the cave’s chasm, but the damage was evident: a series of holes began to singe their way into the tops of Marco’s wings and eating away at parts of the black and crimson appendages. Marco let out a hiss of pain and plummeted back toward the ground, landing on his hands and knees. As a result of the blow, his wings suddenly retracted and Marco transformed back into his human state. Vulnerable, wounded, and clearly unable to siphon any more of the corrupted magic, Marco’s Toffee-infused gaze stared at the girls with a furious determination. Tom, meanwhile, sent yet another ray of fire Marco’s way, strategically aiming right beside the boy and causing him to flip onto his back to avoid the blaze.</p><p>“JANNA, NOW!” Tom screamed.</p><p>Star felt a rush of air as Janna darted past her and lunged at Marco. Effectively surprising him, Janna instantly caught hold of the red necktie and pulled on it with all her might. The sound of fabric tearing echoed throughout the room as the tie released its hold on Marco’s neck with a sharp <em>snap!</em>  while Janna fell backwards from the momentum of her manoeuvre.</p><p>Marco let out a mangled, ear-splitting scream as streams of blinding green light shot out from his eyes and mouth. Then the noise stopped. Marco collapsed onto his back and was unconscious once more.</p><p>Star ran to her best friend faster than she had probably ever moved in her life, diving onto the floor and crouching down at his side. “M-Marco?” Star gasped. She placed her ear to his chest, listening for a heartbeat. Janna, who was still holding the necktie in her hand, quickly threw the object away from her before standing up and running toward Marco. Tom followed suit, darting down from the air and landing on Marco’s other side, across from where Star was hunched over him.</p><p>“OH NO, OH <em>NONONONO!  </em>DID I KILL HIM?!” Tom began to shriek in panic.</p><p>Janna skidded to a halt at Marco’s feet and looked down at the boy in confusion for a few moments. She then suddenly raised her hand and smacked it against her forehead. “Oh, duh. Hold up,” said Janna. She brought two of her fingers together and snapped once more, and the room fell silent.</p><p>Marco felt his senses slowly come back to him. Before he even had the capacity to open his eyes, he knew that something felt different—his head was eerily quiet. His eyes fluttered open a short second later, and Marco let out a groan, feeling as though he had just awoken from the least restful and most painful nap imaginable. When his eyes finally adjusted to his surroundings, Marco stared up into the shell-shocked faces of his three friends hovering over him. Then the room erupted into a disorienting blur of noise and movement.</p><p>“OH MY GOSH, <em>MARCO!”</em>  Star gasped.</p><p>“MARCO, YOU’RE OKAY!” Tom shouted.</p><p>“What just hap—” Marco tried to say before his words were cut off by Star and Tom wrapping him up in a chest-crushing hug. “—<em>pend?”</em>  He croaked out. He watched as Tom’s hand darted out and pulled an unwilling Janna into the group hug alongside them.</p><p>“Alright, alright! Give the boy some air,” said Janna in mock annoyance. The friends all pulled away from the hug but remained kneeling alongside their suit-clad friend. “Welcome back, dork,” Janna teased, giving Marco’s shoulder a slight shove.</p><p>Marco grabbed his head and fought back a wave of nausea. He looked down and saw that there was no longer a red necktie hanging from his white shirt collar.  “Did that just… Is he really gone?” He asked with a quavering voice. He felt strangely hollow, almost as if he were still expecting to hear Toffee’s thoughts echoing throughout his head, consuming his own.</p><p>Marco’s two best friends began to gently pull him to his feet, where he stood eye to eye with Janna’s more close-lidded albeit equally concerned gaze. Just as she was about to say something, the most brilliant pair of blue eyes suddenly consumed Marco’s attention. Star had stepped between them, and Marco’s breath caught in his throat when she reached out and cupped his face in her hands.</p><p>“Are you okay?! How are you feeling?” Star asked, staring deeply into his eyes. She began to squish and pull at his cheeks before tilting his head in an array of awkward angles as she continued her inspection.</p><p>Marco swallowed down the surge of butterflies that skyrocketed through him. “I, uh, I think I’m okay. Better now,” he responded quietly, giving her a small, sincere smile. Star stopped her prodding at his words but continued to rest her hands on the side of his face while one of her thumbs slowly caressed his cheek.</p><p>Marco felt a familiar force begin to fill the silence in his head as he continued to gaze into Star’s eyes. The presence of his other friends blurred into the background. He couldn’t look away from her even if he tried, though he had no desire to whatsoever. A wave of desire tinted his vision red, engulfing Star in its haunting glow. Everything Marco wanted was standing right in front of him, tenderly holding his face in her hands. But something in Marco’s head reminded him that she still wasn’t his—at least not yet.</p><p>The last few weeks—and the last twenty-four hours in particular—had been a blur of internalized voices and forces fighting for control of his mind. Urges and whispers to <em>Find Star </em> and <em>Find the wand</em>  had been his constant companions, even when he had felt a semblance of control over himself. On top of all that, the red tie that was formerly cinched around his neck had ensured that Toffee’s constant stream of threats, promises, and compulsions had been able to permeate deep into his mind, causing Marco to lose control of himself altogether, unable to discern where Toffee’s thoughts ended and his began.</p><p>Memories of Toffee’s voice began echoing through his skull, and Marco found himself momentarily lost in thought. <em>He… He said that I couldn’t have her until we destroyed the wand. So, if I do this—if we destroy it along with the Magic—then we can finally be together! It’s our destiny, just like Celena said. Then Star can breakup with Tom and finally be with me...</em> Star’s proximity combined with the thrall of the Blood Moon made it impossible for Marco to fight his way through the red haze currently draping itself over his mind. He could feel himself beginning to hyperventilate, and he was helpless to stop the waves of desire and desperation coursing through him. <em>But Star doesn’t want me… You don’t even know what you want! Yes—yes, I do!</em> He internally contended with himself. <em>I want…</em> Marco stared deeply into Star’s eyes. <em>But Toffee said I can’t have her until I do this. I have to do this.</em></p><p>Marco reached one of his hands up to where Star was still cupping his cheek, resting it overtop of hers. “Where’s the wand, Star?” He asked in a quiet yet determined voice.</p><p>“Uhhhh, what now?” Star asked as her eyes widened and blinked rapidly. She dropped her hands in trepidation and took a significant step back from him.</p><p>“Uh-oh…” Said Janna under her breath.</p><p>“What? Marco, Toffee’s gone. You’re safe now,” Star consoled him, shaking her head in denial as she did.</p><p>“Star, we have to go back into the Magic,” pressed Marco. He knew that it was going to be difficult to convince her to go back there, but he had to try. Even with Toffee out of his head, Marco knew that they weren’t safe until they finished his and Celena’s mission.</p><p>“What?! No, Marco, forget about the Magic! You don’t have to do that anymore!” Star pleaded. Marco started to see tears form at the corners of her eyes, but he couldn’t help himself. He had to do this. He wanted to keep her safe. He wanted <em>her</em>.</p><p>“You don’t <em>get</em> it!” Marco tried to explain, but was cut off by Tom stepping into his field of view and placing himself in Marco’s path.  </p><p>“Hey, buddy. C’mon, just take it easy…” Tom consoled, gently placing his hand on Marco’s shoulder.</p><p>A force beyond Marco’s control suddenly consumed him. “This isn’t about you, <em>Tom</em>,” Marco snapped. As he spoke, his cheeks began softly glowing brighter and brighter until a pair of blood red crescent moons shone from them at full blast. “This is about Star, and what <em>she</em> wants,” he added venomously, roughly ripping Tom’s hand away off his shoulder in the process.</p><p>Tom’s three eyes flared in response, filling with a fiery blaze. “That’s enough. Chill out, Marco,” Tom warned with an obvious edge to his voice.</p><p>“Ha. Coming from <em>you</em>, hot head,” chuckled Janna from the sidelines.</p><p>Tom sent her a glare and rolled his eyes. “<em>Ugh</em>, you know what I mean!”</p><p>Marco approached Tom, stepping into his space. “See? Look at yourself. You’re not good enough for Star. You never were.” He was barely aware of the words leaving his mouth. All he knew is that he wanted Tom out of his way. He was so close to having Star, and he wasn’t about to lose her again.</p><p>“<em>Marco!</em>  Stop it!” Star cried out from behind Tom in frustration.</p><p>“Wait, <em>what?”</em>  Tom asked in confusion, his eyes blinking back to normal as the spark of rage left them. He then craned his neck over his shoulder and muttered to Star, “You didn’t tell him that we—?”</p><p>“We are <em>not</em> talking about this right now!” Star whispered to Tom insistently. Star was beginning to realize that their job wasn’t done yet—Marco was still being afflicted by the Blood Moon, and her and Tom’s presence seemed to be making things worse by the second. “We need to get him to the Severing Stone, like, yesterday,” she whispered into Tom’s ear with a barely audible voice.</p><p>“Yeah, so <em>back off,</em> Lucitor,” Marco warned. He had gotten so close to Tom that their noses were nearly pressed against each other’s.</p><p>Tom looked from Marco to Star with uncertainty. After a moment of deliberation, Tom set his fiery gaze on Marco. “Or <em>what</em>, Marco?” He asked, appearing to let his short temper get the better of him. Star let out a groan, clearly not catching onto Tom’s plan.</p><p>“Or I’ll <em>make</em> you back off,” spat Marco. His eyes flashed white and his cheeks glowed a fierce red. He took yet another step closer to Tom.</p><p>“Make out!” Cheered Janna, raising her phone and pointing it at the two boys as she snapped a picture of them.</p><p>“That’s it!” Tom yelled just as Marco lunged at Tom.</p><p>“Wait, just—!” Star shouted at the same moment that Tom sent Marco sailing through the air with a stream of fiery light.</p><p>The boy landed atop the Severing Stone’s platform, just ahead of the towering object. As he quickly recovered and regained his stance, Tom flew forward and shot another blast of fire from his hands. The blaze created a barrier around Marco, effectively encasing him in a cage of fire.</p><p>“NO! STAR! <em>PLEASE</em>, LET ME OUT!” Marco began to scream. He tried to grab at the bars of flame surrounding him, only to recoil in pain from the burns. <em>“STAR!”</em>  He shouted once more with a sob. Marco’s three friends watched on in horror as the boy attempted to deploy his butterfly form, only to have his already half-singed wings weakly fold back in on themselves. Without the ability to properly dip down, nor the wand at his disposal, Marco was completely trapped.</p><p>Star and Janna ran to catch up with Tom, and all three of them stood before the Severing Stone’s platform, staring up at their suddenly frantic and nearly unrecognizable friend. “Ugh, not this again. <em>This</em> is what the Blood Moon has been doing to him,” Star lamented. She couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling of fear and heartbreak with every scream Marco let out. She was grateful for Tom’s actions, but she absolutely hated seeing Marco locked up once again, just like in the dungeon the night before. <em>At least he’s near the stone now…</em> Star thought to herself.</p><p>“He looks insane... Poor guy,” Tom choked out.</p><p>“I know… I never thought he could get <em>more</em> obsessed with Star,” quipped Janna. Five eyes glared back at her, but she merely shrugged and began to walk closer to Marco. She stopped just ahead of the blazing encasement and looked up at him with an expression no one could see—she looked scared.</p><p>“We’ll get him back, Star. Don’t worry,” Tom consoled softly.</p><p>“I’m really hoping that breaking this curse will get him to stop doing that…” Star expressed with quiet worry, gesturing at her friend who was currently trying to dip down with all his might.</p><p>“Hold up, if Marco loses his powers when the curse breaks, then how will you two destroy the Magic together?” Tom asked.</p><p>“I don’t think he’ll lose it…” muttered Janna from ahead of them, still watching Marco intently. A storm of ethereal wind began to swirl around Marco, sending his black suit jacket and flop of brown hair fluttering wildly about. Once again, he tried to deploy his wings and transform, only to crumple over and cry out in anguish before flickering back into his human attire. “I saw him use the wand without Star once. It changed for him, and look, he even has his own cheek marks,” she explained, pointing up at Marco’s reddened, frenzied face.</p><p>“I know. He has Celena’s magic,” Star added morosely. She still didn’t fully understand how Celena did it, but since the Blood Moon Curse was hers and Toffee’s fault, then Star could only hope that getting rid of it would sever Marco’s connection to her.</p><p>“Right… Your grandma,” Tom muttered, recalling Star’s hurried explanation from the elevator.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter. We have to do this <em>now</em>, Tom,” Star pressed on with urgency.</p><p>Just then, Marco suddenly began to raise his hands, which were somehow managing to glow with purple despite his weakened state. He pointed them directly ahead of him and sent a blast dashing towards the flame-crafted bars of his cage. Janna dove out of the way just in time to avoid a stray blast of magic darting through the cage and nearly straight at her. Marco’s unruly magic began to thrash around and lick up along the sides of the flames, causing the bars to shiver under the deafening roar of magical wind.</p><p>Tom let out a growl of frustration, shooting more fire from his hands to try and maintain the force field surrounding Marco. “I trust you, Star! I just... What if it doesn’t work?!” Tom yelled as he struggled to hold his ground against Marco’s attacks.</p><p>“If breaking this curse and getting him back was going to go against the prophecy, something probably would have stopped us by now!” Star shouted over the roar of magical energies. “Worse comes to worst... we try Plan B,” she added with a shaking voice. Truth be told, Star really didn’t have a Plan B.</p><p>Without another moment of delay, Star ran past Tom and Janna until she was nearly flush against the cage. “Okay, Tom. Let me in!” Star called back to him. A couple of columns of flame parted and Star slipped between them.</p><p>Marco felt a surge of both desire and relief race through him the moment Star entered the blazing enclosure. He was speechless at the sight before him. Alluring shades of red, yellow, and orange from the flames refracted off of her glittering, golden hair. He was completely mesmerized by the crimson-drenched girl before him. He couldn’t believe the power she had over him. His breath caught in his throat as he looked down to her lips, which were slightly parted as if she was about to speak. Marco could have sworn that the hearts dotting her cheeks were a shade or two darker than usual. Before she could utter a sound, however, a force stronger than gravity sent him and Star colliding with one another in synchronization, and they grasped each other in a tight and desperate embrace.</p><p>He could feel Star’s heartbeat dancing across his own chest as she spoke to him. “I’m here, it’s okay. We’re okay. You can have the wand, a-and we’re still gonna destroy the Magic, I promise. But I need you to do something for me first,” said Star earnestly.</p><p>“Star, this needs to end <em>now</em>. We don’t have time,” he choked out, voice laden with sorrow.</p><p>Star finally pulled back from the hug and met his eyes once more. “I know, but what if there’s another way? What if we could—?”</p><p>“No… No, it’ll just keep getting worse, Star! We—” Marco felt a long-forgotten memory suddenly surface from the depths of his mind. He heard his own monotonous voice continue to speak, as if his mouth were merely repeating a script: “You can treat the symptoms but you’ll never cure the virus,”* he murmured, almost to himself. Then Marco blinked, coming back into the moment.</p><p>Star’s eyes widened for a brief flash before settling into a sorrowful expression. “Okay. We’re gonna end this,” Said Star sadly. Marco gave her a nod in response. “But can you just hold me for right now? I’m really scared, Marco,” she uttered with a small voice and glistening eyes.</p><p>Marco felt his heart nearly shatter. “O-Of course,” he spluttered while his wide eyes softened. “It’s gonna be okay. We just have to do what Toffee said, okay?”</p><p>“Why are you still doing this?” Star choked out on the verge of tears.</p><p>“I don’t know… I just have to,” Marco said softly. It felt as though countless forces beyond Marco’s control—some more inexplicable than others—had been leading him to this since the moment Star came into his life. Marco knew, in some way or another, that Star was his destiny, but equally so was their mission to rid the universe of the Magic.</p><p>Star, meanwhile, had buried her head into Marco’s chest. For the first time in what felt like far too long, Star simply let herself cry as he held her close. She tried her best to calm herself by listening intently to the sound of his heartbeat. The fiery cage still raged around them, sending a warm breeze swirling around the embracing pair. Star felt beyond conflicted—the very person who was trying to tear her world apart was also the only one capable of keeping her whole. After a few teary minutes, Star finally felt her breathing slow. Now that Marco had also calmed down, she knew that it was time to act. Star subtly craned her neck to peer around Marco, whom she was still hugging tightly against her, to look at Tom and Janna. <em>What do I do?!  </em>Star silently mouthed towards her friends.</p><p>Tom and Janna exchanged a worried look. “Uhh, I think my grandpa told me that they would have to do exactly what they were doing the moment they were cursed,” Tom said to Janna in a hushed voice, trying not to draw Marco’s attention to their conversation.</p><p>“Well, it was a ball, wasn’t it?” Whispered Janna. “Shouldn’t they like... dance or something?”</p><p>Tom mouthed <em>Dance?</em>  back at Star with a shrug.</p><p>Star sent them a pleading look as she continued to hold Marco with his back turned to their friends. <em>What? How?!  </em>She mouthed in Tom and Janna’s direction. She watched them from afar as they seemed to quietly deliberate between themselves once more. Thankfully, Marco didn’t seem to be pulling away from her anytime soon. Then Tom seemed to perk up with an idea. He lifted his index finger and mouthed <em>Hold on a second</em>  to Star while he began to dig into the pocket of his tattered jean shorts. Tom pulled out his cell phone and started frantically typing. He then hit one final button, held the phone over his head, and a soft pop melody began to echo throughout the cave.</p><p>
  <em>“Ooh, girl. You know I’d never mean to hurt ya…”</em>
</p><p>Star felt Marco begin to pull away from their hug as the sound of his second-favourite Love Sentence song floated towards them. He turned towards Tom and stared at him with a look of conflicted wonder. Star swooned at the small smile that tugged at the corner of his lips, and the way Marco’s eyes and hair seemed to shimmer under the firelight dancing around them.</p><p>“What is he doing…?” Marco asked tentatively, turning his attention back to Star. His puzzled smile had almost fully reached his eyes.</p><p>“May I have this dance, Sir Marco Diaz?” Star asked with a goofy, melodramatic formality. Marco chuckled at her—and most likely at the strangeness of the situation—but ultimately still looked torn.</p><p>“Star—” He began to protest.</p><p>Then Star reached into the pocket of her light blue dress and grabbed the wand. She held it up in one hand and placed the other on Marco’s shoulder. “Together?” She asked.</p><p>Marco wrapped his hand overtop of where Star was holding the wand, while the other softly came to rest on her hip. “Together,” he murmured. Star felt her stomach soar under his adoring gaze. For just a moment, Star didn’t care if she was feeling this way because of a curse. She let her love for Marco wash over her, refusing to try to quell her feelings any further. Curse or no curse, Marco was her everything, and she couldn’t wait to have him back. Star rested her forehead on his and began to steer them into a slow waltz. Marco quickly took the lead, slightly lifting Star off the ground to twirl them around in a small circle, with their brows still intimately touching. Star felt like she was flying.</p><p>“Marco?” Star whispered.</p><p>“Yeah?” He asked softly, opening his eyes and pulling his forehead away from hers, but only by a mere inch.</p><p>Star watched as he looked down at her lips in anticipation. “I—” Star began to respond.</p><p>Then Star and Marco were suddenly blinded by a red flash of light.</p>
<hr/><p>When the spots of red began to leave Marco’s vision and his eyes adjusted to the room around him, he found that he had been transported somewhere else entirely. “STAR?!” Marco screeched, squishing the blonde tightly against his chest. “Where are we? Is this—?”</p><p>“The Blood Moon Ball!” They chimed in unison. The two began to look around the room in wonder. Sure enough, the Underworld’s grand hall was complete with dressed up demons, menacing food and drinks, and a massive hand with a crescent-shaped crimson gem towering down from the ceiling above. They were in the middle of the dancefloor. Star and Marco took a moment to inspect their clothing: Star’s hair was stacked in a bun atop her head, and she wore in a red dress with a pair of tall white boots. Marco, meanwhile, was in a far less disheveled black suit, complete with his Día de los Muertos mask and a red sombrero.</p><p>“Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow-wow. Marco, I think we’re <em>in</em> our memories,” Star noted in delight, turning her attention back towards her disoriented friend.</p><p>Marco began to panic. “Okay, what the <em>heck</em> is going on?! Why are we here?!” His head was spinning, but it felt as though there was a distinct lack of pressure within his skull. In fact, he couldn’t hear a thing apart from his usual stream of anxious thoughts. His head felt clearer than it had in days, possibly weeks. “Star... Is Toffee really gone? I-I can’t hear anything.” He knew that his friends had removed the tie from him, but something else had suddenly changed within him once again. It was as though a dense fog had been lifted from behind his eyes.</p><p>Star gave him a dazzling, determined smile that made Marco’s heart skip a beat. “He’s gone. It’s over. Now we’re gonna break the curse, okay? Then everything can go back to normal.”</p><p>Marco was at a loss. “The curse? But you said Toffee’s gone...”</p><p>“No, I mean the Blood Moon Curse. We didn’t really know it at the time, but it bound our souls together. It’s been messing with us since we danced together that night,” she explained. “Haven’t you noticed that things have been a little, uhm, <em>intense</em> with you? With us?”</p><p>“Yeah, but I…” Marco trailed off. Panic started to wash over him once more. <em>What does she mean ‘break the curse’? It’s our bond. We were chosen… </em></p><p>“Hey, breathe. Just focus on me, okay? I need you to just kinda go with it,” Star explained to him calmly. She took both of his hands in hers.</p><p>Marco didn’t know how to say no to her when she looked so earnest, which still did very little to quell his worries. “What’s gonna happen, Star?” He whispered.</p><p>She took a deep breath before she replied. “So... I guess we have to sacrifice the memory of the moment our souls were bound... The moment we got cursed.”</p><p>“And... Is this what you want?” Marco asked somberly. He knew that he would do anything for her, even though he was terrified of losing her.</p><p>“I <em>really</em> need everybody to stop asking me that,” Star muttered to herself almost too quietly for Marco to hear. “Yeah, Marco. It’s what we have to do,” she replied with a distinct lack of emotion.  </p><p>“Oh,” was all Marco could manage to say in response. He looked down at his shoes, feeling more disappointed than he had ever felt in his life. The Blood Moon had been whispering to him for almost two years now. It told him that they were chosen for a reason, that they were meant to be together, and that they were soul mates, even. After unlocking the secrets embedded within Celena’s tapestry, he knew that Celena and Toffee had orchestrated his and Star’s exposure to the Blood Moon, but he still couldn’t shake the way he felt. A flurry of questions raced through his mind: would they lose the closeness of their relationship? Would he lose his feelings for her? When Marco finally lifted his gaze and faced her, it’s as if her expression was an exact reflection of his thoughts.</p><p>“Then why do you look so sad?” He asked Star.</p><p>He could tell that she didn’t know how to respond. “I’m okay,” she whispered with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She looked conflicted.</p><p>Marco, too, was beyond conflicted. Yet, now that he could feel the Blood Moon’s thrall gradually loosening its hold on his mind, he couldn’t deny that they were making the right decision by breaking the curse. Whatever the Blood Moon had been doing to them—and specifically <em>him</em>—was clearly making matters worse instead of better. He cringed at the memory of the rooftop a few hours prior, and of their moment at the lakeside, and just now when he had tried to fight Tom. <em>Star deserves better. She deserves to choose her own fate, and right now she wants to be with Tom. Maybe I could finally be happy with someone too, without the curse. Maybe we really are meant to be just friends…</em></p><p>If breaking the curse was what Star wanted, if being unbound from him would make her happy, then Marco knew that she deserved that freedom. She deserved to be with Tom without him getting in the way of things all the time, whether he meant to or not. Star deserved to feel true love, not some cursed version of it. Marco knew that curse or no curse, he loved her with every fibre of his being, and he wasn’t about to make her hurt a moment longer, even if it ended up hurting him in the end. Even if he didn’t get to have her the way he truly wanted. If she didn’t want him in that way, then he would get over it in time. To do that, however, they would need to break the final bond, ironically, tearing them apart. </p><p>Marco took a deep breath and looked at Star with determination. “So, the moment our souls were bound... When we danced?”</p><p>“Uh, y-yeah,” replied Star in surprise, clearly shocked by his change in attitude.</p><p>“Okay. So, like this, I guess?” He asked, scooping her back up into a waltz position once more.</p><p>“I mean, I think so...” A red light suddenly poured down from above and bathed them in its glow as a hauntingly beautiful and bittersweet song began to play.</p><p>“Then, I guess we gotta go for it!” Marco added. Star let out a gasp as he began to twirl her around the room in poised and graceful circles.</p><p>“Aww, you look so cute in your mask,” cooed Star.</p><p>“Oh. No...” Marco said bashfully, his gaze darted upwards.</p><p>“Oh right, I also never told you that you had corn chip crumbs on your tie.”</p><p>“Oh... Well, that’s embarrassing,” Marco blushed. The two began to chuckle, feeling the tension dissipate between them. “This would have been the part where Tom shoved me halfway across the ballroom…” He added, looking around in confusion.</p><p>“This feels… new,” noted Star. Marco began to pick up the pace, sending Star dipping and twirling in a dizzying yet effortless array of moves. A euphoric happiness settled deep within him as they danced. For the first time in quite a while, Marco felt grateful to be fifteen again. He felt hopeful.</p><p>“Where have you been hiding these dance moves, Diaz?” Star commended playfully as they danced.</p><p>“Nowhere. I just keep on dancing, y’know? That’s what grandma said: just keep dancing even if you look silly,” Marco rambled awkwardly, but feeling too comfortable and happy to care. He spun Star again, and the two broke out into a fit of giggles.</p><p>Star’s shining smile eventually fell. “Marco... I’m really scared,” she admitted.</p><p>He slowed their pace and the two began to sway from side to side. “Don’t worry, it’s gonna work!” He encouraged her with a voice slightly muffled through his mask.</p><p>“That’s what I’m scared of. I-I don’t want my destiny determined by some creepy curse, but... I like <em>this</em>,” Star confessed. She slowly tightened her grasp on his hand as she spoke.</p><p>A surge of warmth blossomed in Marco’s chest at the sound of her words. No matter how free his mind was becoming as the moon’s curse weakened its grip on him, and no matter what he had tried to convince himself of in order to break it, Marco still couldn’t help the way he felt about her—how much he truly, deeply loved her more than he had ever loved anyone else.</p><p>Marco lifted his mask. “Yeah, so do I,” he admitted softly.</p><p>“... What if it was never the Blood Moon?”</p><p>Marco watched Star’s eyes begin to pool with tears, and then the world erupted into a flash of golden light.</p>
<hr/><p>“AHH!” Star and Marco both exclaimed, opening their eyes to find that they were back at the Severing Stone, which let out a melodious hum before its golden light extinguished.</p><p>“I guess.... It’s done?” Said Tom unsurely.</p><p>“Whoa, whoa, wait. What happened? You, like, turned around once and that was it,” lamented Janna, clearly unimpressed.</p><p>Star rubbed at her eyes and squinted in confusion. “I dunno, I feel like I just woke up from, like, a weird nap.”</p><p>“Yeah. We were at the Blood Moon Ball and we were dancing… And then… W-what were we just doing?” Marco asked in confusion.</p><p>“Yeah, I don’t remember,” admitted Star.</p><p>“So, wait... How do we even know it worked?” Asked Janna. Star and Marco jumped down from the Severing Stone’s platform and stood across from Tom and Janna.</p><p>Star turned towards her best friend. “Well, Marco, how do you feel?”</p><p>“Uhh, less cursed, I guess?” He responded hesitantly, scratching the back of his head. Marco felt at a patch of singed hair and silently cursed Toffee for leaving him with the repercussions of Hekapoo’s wrath.</p><p>“And what about when you look at me?” Star prodded, breaking Marco out of his thoughts. The room fell into a tense, anticipatory silence.</p><p>Marco drew a deep breath and really took a moment to take her in. As he did, he felt a wave of vertigo snake its way up the back of his neck. His eyes went wide and beads of sweat began trailing down his forehead. Still maintaining eye contact with Star, Marco flailed out an arm beside him and began patting at Tom’s upper arm and chest until his hand finally landed on the demon’s shoulder. Leaning into Tom for support, Marco held Star’s gaze with an unblinking stare for another beat before bending over and throwing up all over Tom’s shoes.</p><p>“DUDE, GROSS!” Tom shrieked, jumping out of Marco’s grasp. Marco stayed hunched over and placed both of his hands on his knees, continuing to heave.</p><p>“Haaaaa! Awesome,” Janna laughed gleefully. </p><p>Star placed her hands on her hips and nodded. “Alright, I guess that’s understandable,” she conceded with a grimace, sounding only slightly bitter.</p><p>Marco’s nausea eventually subsided and he slowly stood back up, albeit still wobbling visibly. “Sorry! <em>Ugh</em>, gosh,” he apologized. He proceeded to wipe his mouth on the sleeve of his black suit jacket, causing him to recognize what he was wearing. “OAAAHHHH!” Exclaimed Marco with a shrill yelp. He then began struggling to tear off the Toffee-like jacket, leaving his upper body clad in only a crumpled and dirty white dress shirt. Successfully freeing himself from the jacket, Marco flung it behind him where it collided with Tom’s face.</p><p>“MARCO!” The demon shouted in a booming, multi-octave voice. Tom threw the jacket off of him in disgust and glared at Marco with three flaming red eyes.</p><p>“Come on, Tom, cut him some slack. The boy was just, like, <em>super</em> cursed,” intoned Janna patronizingly.</p><p>“S-sorry!” Marco spluttered. He took another moment to compose himself before his gaze settled on Star once more. “Okay, yeah, sorry. When I look at you?” He asked, picking up from Star’s question. He genuinely had no idea what was about to come out of his mouth. “Well, I see… I see—” Something over Star’s shoulder suddenly caught Marco’s eye and consumed his attention. The world came to a stop as his wide eyes landed on the object—it was Toffee’s tie. Marco’s head started pounding as a familiar and invasive cacophony of whispers began trying to permeate his mind once more. He didn’t notice himself taking an involuntary step past Star and towards it.</p><p>“NO!” He heard Star scream.</p><p>The next thing he knew, the wind rushed out of Marco’s chest as he collided with the ground. Janna and Tom were both sprawled out overtop of his body, having apparently just tackled him. A burst of light erupted from above him as Star darted into the air in full butterfly form. The tie also shot skyward as Star caused it to levitate well above the floor. With a wordless, white hot stare, Star sent a massive ray of blinding, purplish golden light sailing towards the tie and blasted the object out of existence. What none of them expected in that moment was a cluster of sickly green smoke to begin to form where the tie had just been floating.</p><p>The air ignited with a sinister chill as the blackish green mass continued to coagulate in midair. Star dropped to the ground on her knees alongside her friends. Her butterfly form flickered out of sight from exhaustion, and Star was left helplessly watching as the menacing cloud kept gathering above them. It appeared as though a head with a large, long snout began to rise from the top of the mass, and the group of friends suddenly found themselves staring at a pair of bright green eyes piercing outward from the creature’s head. The resemblance was unmistakable—it was Toffee, or, the shape of Toffee’s shoulders and head, at least.</p><p>A weak yet sinister “Ha!” Rumbled through the air as Toffee’s nebulous form fixed its eyes on the group of teens. They were frozen in fear—that is, until Star felt a sudden emptiness in her pocket and a gust of wind blow past her.</p><p>Marco had been the only one of his friends to spring into action. The moment he saw Toffee’s form—the face of his nightmares, his captor, and the reason Marco had almost hurt the people he loved the most—he felt more emboldened than ever before. He snatched Star’s wand out of her pocket and hit the ground running, racing directly underneath and past where the murky, bodiless outline of Toffee’s head was hovering. The wand came to life and transformed in his hands as Marco skidded to a stop and turned to face the villainous mass. With a steely focus, Marco felt his crescent cheek marks ignite as he pointed the wand at the roof of the cave between him and his foe.</p><p>With a wordless shout, Marco sent a beam—filled with small triangular shapes resembling nacho chips—at the base of a stalactite above. The lethally pointed rock cracked off of the top of the cave and began to plummet towards the ground. Marco’s friends, meanwhile, watched in awe as the human dropped the wand and sprinted towards the wall behind him. He leapt up, grabbed hold of a lantern jutting out from the rock, and proceeded to execute a perfectly graceful and severe swing before propelling himself towards the falling stalactite.</p><p>Marco soared through the air and delivered a powerful flying kick with a mighty “HYAAAAAA!” He then landed on the ground in a low stance and looked up at the dark green cloud with a fierce gaze.</p><p>The nebulous head turned around a moment too late. The stalactite soared toward the Toffee-shaped cloud and pierced straight through it, sailing to the other side of the cave and eventually colliding with the wall in a resounding <em>crack. </em>Marco watched in merciless satisfaction as the final manifestation of his enemy exploded in midair. The cloud disappeared from sight with a thunderous eruption, and Toffee was gone.</p><p>Marco stood up and brushed aside the stray pieces of hair that had fallen into his eyes, still staring up at the space where Toffee had just been. “<em>Pffft</em>, lawyers,” he quipped with a smirk, looking unmistakably proud of himself. He glanced down just in time to see his three closest friends racing towards him.</p><p>“You did it! That was amazing!” Star exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Marco and lifting him off the ground, squeezing him to the point of injury.</p><p>“Dang, Diaz. Not bad,” Janna admired, clapping a hand onto Marco’s shoulder. Then Star released Marco and let him stand on his own two feet as he fought to suck in air.</p><p>“That was <em>awesome</em>, Marco!” Tom said as he gave him a high-five. Marco responded by wrapping his arms around his stomach and keeling over as he began to heave all over Tom’s shoes once more.</p><p>“UGH, NO! AGAIN?!” Tom shouted.</p><p>Star and Janna’s laughter was cut off by the sound of the walls beginning to rumble viciously around them. The stalactite Marco had lodged into the wall opposite them had left a massive cleft in the stone that sent a series of tremors rolling throughout the cave. The four friends watched in shock as the countless stalactites looming over them began to shake and crack, while pieces of rock commenced their showery descent.</p><p>“Uhh, we gotta go!” Shouted Janna.</p><p>Star reached into her pocket and pulled out her mother’s scissors, splicing a rift in the space between them all. Strangely enough, the portal looked as though it was made of fire, and not like the blue rift that the dimensional scissors usually created. She didn’t have time to question it, and instead ushered her friends through without delay. “Quick, let’s go!” She ordered.</p><p>Janna raced through the portal first, while Tom begrudgingly scooped up the still woozy Marco into his arms and quickly followed. Barely dodging the massive hunks of rock falling all around her, Star raced over to where Marco had abandoned the wand on the floor during his fight and retrieved it before diving headfirst through the flaming portal and out of sight.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*I try not to do it too often, but I really hope you all don’t mind when I incorporate lines from the show into the dialogue. The “Blood Moon Curse” episode was just too well written... How could I have their memory sequence go any other way? </p><p>*Marco’s line: “You can treat the symptoms but you’ll never cure the virus,” is from S1 E03, “Monster Arm.” It’s the last thing the spell says before retracting back into Marco’s arm. I thought it was a nice touch since this fic is just a catalogue of Marco being messed up by dark/spooky magic anyway. I love the foreshadowing of this line, especially when you think about Mina’s final scene and the way that her hate and “good ideas” will continue to live on.</p><p>*So. I watched Venom for the first time a few days ago and WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TELL ME I ACCIDENTALLY WROTE AN ANGSTY SVTFOE AU OF VENOM ???? LIKE???!! WHERE WAS THE COMMON DECENCY?! I need you all to know that I was positively sobbing with laughter during the entire movie because I could NOT stop imagining it as an AU of my own fic, which is not an experience I ever thought I would have. Long story short, Venom is just a Marco x Toffee bff AU. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Love is Always the Answer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The end of the world.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thunder and lightening crackled above as Star and her friends stepped out of the portal and onto the muddy, rain-soaked earth. They appeared to be in the middle of a forest on Mewni.</p><p>“Uhh, what’s going on?” Asked Tom, still cradling Marco in his arms.</p><p>“I don’t understand. I wanted to bring us back to the Monster Temple, not wherever this is,” admitted Star worriedly. “Where even are we?”</p><p>“Wait a sec. I know this place…” Marco mused aloud from Tom’s grasp. He then patted Tom on the back. “Okay, Tom. I, uh, I think I’m good now. You can put me down,” he reassured his friend.</p><p>“You sure? Cause I can keep holding you if you need me to,” Tom shrugged casually.</p><p>“Thanks, but I think I’ve got it from here,” responded Marco.</p><p>“Really, it’s no big deal. You are surprisingly light…”</p><p><em>“Tom,”</em> Marco whined with a blush.</p><p>“Alright, alright. Just no more puking, please. My boots can’t take much more,” the demon lamented, looking down towards his now muddied footwear.</p><p>“So, what is this place?” Asked Janna. She nodded toward a neon, glowing sign above a metallic doorway that had risen out of the ground. The sign read: <em>TAVERN AT THE END OF THE MULTIVERSE.</em> A suit-clad, mewman bouncer stood before the door. “It looks like a bar or something,” the brunette noted.</p><p>Now free of Tom’s grasp, Marco began to walk toward the door and motioned for his friends to follow. “It’s more of a pub, but yeah. I used to come here a lot, and I have a feeling I know who brought us here,” he added. With no further explanation, Marco walked up to the bouncer and gave him a nod. “They’re with me,” he said, pointing a thumb back towards his friends standing sheepishly behind him. The bouncer took a few moments to look his three friends over before ultimately conceding. He gave Marco a silent nod and unhooked a red rope that hung between them and the door, letting them through.</p><p>“Not bad, Diaz,” Star commended, linking her arm with Marco’s as they walked through the door.</p><p>Tom and Janna walked on ahead and into the tavern. Marco, meanwhile, had slowed his pace considerably and was looking down at his and Star’s linked arms in sheer confusion. His stomach became warm and flipped in a way that he had not anticipated. Star looked up at him with a soft, nearly doting smile, and Marco’s thoughts began to spiral. <em>Oh no, nononono this can’t be happening! I mean, I had a feeling that this might happen but I didn’t think it would be this strong! Great, just great. We broke the curse and now Star is totally fine and still with Tom, and here I am, still pining over her like a total Marco as if nothing’s changed…</em></p><p>“Marco?” Star asked as they walked down into the bar area of the tavern. She looked up at him with a pair of big, sapphire eyes that glittered with concern. Marco felt like he was drowning all over again.</p><p>“Uhh, y-yeah?” He spluttered out nervously. “Wh—?”</p><p>Marco was suddenly ripped from Star’s grasp and thrown across the room. He slammed down onto the sticky floor behind the bar where a surly bartender sighed and walked off towards the broom closet in defeat, preparing to clean up the mess of broken bottles and spilled liquid.</p><p>“WHAT THE HECK?!” Marco screeched. As he did, none other than Rhombulus landed atop the bar in a low crouch and glared down at him. Both of his snake arms glared accordingly.</p><p>“STAY RIGHT THERE, LIZARD!” Yelled Rhombulus.</p><p>“WHAT?! Wait, no! No, I’m not Toffee! See?! No tie!” Marco tried to defend himself with his hands up in surrender, still laying with his back on the sticky bar floor.</p><p>“As if we would be stupid enough to believe you!” Bellowed Omnitraxus as he ran over from the other end of the room. He moved behind the bar to retrieve the teen.</p><p>Just then, Hekapoo stood up from a stool a few feet away. “Are you <em>KIDDING</em> me?!” She shouted as her aura flared up with an angry haze of flame. “How did <em>you</em> idiots find out about this?!”</p><p>Rhombulus turned and pointed his snakes at Hekapoo. “That’s none of your business, traitor!” He then looked over to the far corner of the room where Moon was sitting in a booth with her head hung low. Rhombulus sent her a what appeared to be a one-eyed wink, and Eclipsa, who was standing near the pool table with Meteora strapped to her chest and a pool cue in hand, slowly turned towards Moon with a furious glare.</p><p>“Mom! Eclipsa! You’re here too?!” Star exclaimed from near the doorway in surprise. “Wait, Mom… You <em>told</em> them to track us down?!”</p><p>“Oof, rough,” muttered Janna from a wooden table where her and Tom had seated themselves.</p><p>“Enough, Rhombulus! Hekapoo, stand down. We’ll deal with this,” boomed Omnitraxus Prime, who was currently extending a purplish, astral arm and lifting up Marco. He dangled him above the bar from his muddied, white collared shirt. Marco was frantically gasping for air. From atop the bar, Rhombulus’ crystalline head began to light up and he pointed his gaze at Marco.</p><p>“NO!” Shouted Star. In one fluid motion, she slid across the top of the bar towards Rhombulus, knocking over various customers’ drinks as she went. Her feet collided with the side of the magical entity’s legs and Rhombulus was sent flipping off the wooden surface from the force.</p><p>“FIGHT!” One of the tavern’s patrons announced gleefully.</p><p>Hekapoo let out a snarl of fury. “Let him go!” She growled. She then sent a ball of flame straight towards the galaxy in the center of Omnitraxus’ body, causing him to bend over and clutch at his abdomen.</p><p>Marco saw his cue; he swung his feet onto Omnitraxus’ mountainous head and pushed off with all of his might. He successfully freed himself from his captor’s grasp and, performing a backwards flip in midair, managed to land on his feet. After which Star, Hekapoo, Tom, and Janna all ran up and surrounded Marco in defensive positions.</p><p>“I don’t care what my mom told you. It’s over. Toffee’s gone, a-and it wasn’t Marco’s fault!” explained Star hurriedly.</p><p>“So what? We’re just supposed to let him go?!” Shouted Rhombulus after popping up and running out from behind the bar. He then ran up to Omnitraxus, who was currently reaching into the depths of spacetime within his stomach and pulling out a handful of flame. He threw Hekapoo’s fire onto the ground and stomped it out, then leveled his gaze on his sister.</p><p>“The human is coming with us!” He demanded.</p><p>“That’s it!” Exclaimed Hekapoo. She ran at her brothers, tore open a flaming portal beside them, and pushed them into it.</p><p>A short second later, the two proceeded to fall through a portal that had suddenly appeared on the ceiling above the billiards table. They crashed down onto the table, snapping the surface in half as it folded in on them. Rhombulus let out a wordless shout and, still in his fallen state, sent a crystalline blast from his head straight towards Hekapoo. She quickly darted out of the way, opened a portal in its path, and the beam of light disappeared along with it. A split second later, an identical portal opened up directly above the fallen High Commission members, and Rhombulus’ attack fell upon him and Omnitraxus, crystallizing the majority of their bodies. Only their faces remained free. Rendered completely immobile—at least until Rhombulus could figure out that he had the power to free himself—the two were met by the sight of Eclipsa and the infantile Meteora looming over them. Omnitraxus and Rhombulus each let out a shriek as the queen pointed her pool cue at them as if it were a sword.</p><p>“Don’t you dare try anything,” Eclipsa warned. Meteora’s eyes and clovers flashed green for a moment in agreement with her mother. The brothers visibly cringed in horror but remained motionless. "Marco is innocent. Not that that means much to you two," she accused venomously. </p><p>“Okay, okay! Just please don’t bring that freaky baby any closer!” Rhombulus whined. His skull-faced brother merely let out a groan of defeat.</p><p>“Much better,” said Hekapoo with a smile, looking quite proud of her work. She then walked back over to where Marco and his friends stood. “Sorry. I guess <em>someone</em> helped them track me down,” Hekapoo said pointedly, glaring over her shoulder where Moon was lurking.</p><p>“Ugh, I guess I’ll go deal with that,” groaned Star. She placed a hand on Marco’s upper arm and squeezed. “I’ll be right back,” she said. Then she walked away.</p><p>Marco watched her go in silence, absently rubbing the place where her hand had just been. Star often showed her affection physically, and while Marco certainly knew that from plenty of experience, something about the way she had been acting in the past few minutes was different. Linking arms with him and gently caressing his bicep just seemed, well, <em>intimate</em>, especially considering what they had just been through together. A part of him wondered why she was being so touchy around him with Tom so close by, but the rest of him was left blissfully intoxicated by her attention. Marco couldn’t complain; he was grateful that Star was no longer recoiling from his touch now that he was free of his curses. She seemed to have missed him as much as he had missed her. Yet Marco was also left feeling slightly disheartened; he had been hoping that his feelings for her would have gone away along with the Blood Moon Curse. They had become less possessive and consuming, that much was clear, but he still felt that familiar wave of warmth blossoming inside his chest now that she was by his side once again. It would seem that curse or no curse, Marco’s feelings for Star were here to stay.</p><p>Tom and Janna drifted away to the bar while Marco sat himself down at a nearby table. He was completely exhausted. He’d been possessed by his greatest enemy, tried to kiss his best friend while she was in a relationship (again), been locked in a dungeon, tossed around and knocked out repeatedly, had just recently found out that he was probably the only mostly-human male in existence to have Butterfly powers, and been beaten to a pulp by the people closest to him. He just wanted to sleep. It felt like he hadn’t truly done that in weeks. Marco rested his elbows on the wooden tabletop and placed his head in his hands; he let out a long sigh. Then, a chair across from him let out a squeak as it slid away from the table. He kept his head down, already knowing who was sitting down across from him.</p><p>“You know, I’ve gotta hand it to you… Fighting you was probably the most fun I’ve had in centuries,” Hekapoo expressed with a voice like velvet. Marco assumed she was referring to when Toffee was using him to attack her back in the Magic dimension. He decided to ignore her obvious—and poorly played—attempt to lighten the mood.</p><p>“Hekapoo, why did you bring us here?” Marco asked without looking up.</p><p>“I saved your butts. You’re welcome,” she intoned smoothly, leaning back on her chair. “Clearly not in time though. You look like crap.”</p><p>“Yeah, thanks to <em>you</em>,” muttered Marco. At this point, he was pretty sure that the bald spot singed into the back of his head was never going to grow back properly.</p><p>She gave him a cavalier shrug. “You deserved it, dummy.”</p><p>Marco finally looked up and met her eyes, and his were filled with remorse. “I… I know. I know I did. I’m <em>so </em>s—”</p><p>“If you say sorry, I <em>will</em> hurt you,” Hekapoo threatened.</p><p>“But—”</p><p>“No ‘buts,’ either.”</p><p>Marco rolled his eyes. “<em>Hekapoo</em>…” He whined.</p><p>“Besides, I know it was Toffee, so you’re off the hook.”</p><p>“The magic was <em>mine</em> though, you know that. It’s my fault he had access to it!”</p><p>“Fine, you win. That was really, <em>really</em> stupid of you,” Hekapoo conceded, sounding as serious as she was able.</p><p>Marco was visibly taken aback. “Wow, okay. Rude,” he replied, clearly offended.</p><p>Hekapoo looked unfazed by his reaction. “Well, isn’t that what you wanted to hear? That you messed up? Because you did. You barely told me anything. I had no idea what was actually going on until I saw you in ‘Toffee mode’ or whatever. You didn’t let anyone help you.”</p><p>“I <em>know</em>…” Marco groaned into his hands. “I just… I don’t know. I wanted to keep everyone safe.”</p><p>“And what, be the hero?”</p><p>Marco didn’t respond. He just looked down at the tabletop in shame, absently tracing the various cracks and scuffs on its surface.</p><p>“Hm. Courageous <em>and</em> stupid. Sounds like you fit the bill pretty well.” She looked him over with a narrowed gaze. “You didn’t even tell Star what was happening to you, did you?”</p><p>He sighed. “Nope, nothing. Not until it was too late. She basically figured it all out herself,” he admitted regretfully.</p><p>“Impressive,” said Hekapoo, commending Star’s savvy. “Well, I guess I should say I’m flattered that you came to me...”</p><p>Marco’s face instantly reddened with a blush. “I-I told Eclipsa a little bit, too!” He exclaimed in defense. He hated that she could get under his skin sometimes. It was usually him—wielding his sculpted, mid-thirties physique and deep, flirty voice—that could leave her frazzled. But it was times like these that he just couldn’t help the magnetism between them. They had history, after all. Looking back at his life before he had met Star, Marco would have never imagined that he would befriend someone like Hekapoo. She was an immortal—the great traverser of the multiverse and forger of heroes—while he was merely a partially human boy from Earth. Yet thanks to Marco’s childish misuse of her interdimensional scissors, they had found each other. Hekapoo could be a bully who was beyond aggravating at the best of times, but Marco couldn’t have imagined spending his second lifetime duelling it out with anyone else.</p><p>Hekapoo chuckled proudly at his blushful discomfort, and the two of them held eye contact as her laughter died down.</p><p>“I wish I told you more,” Marco admitted quietly.</p><p>“You clearly weren’t thinking straight—you would never hurt her,” she shrugged.</p><p>“I wouldn’t say that…” Marco muttered out of self-loathing. If he was being honest with himself, he had left Star heartbroken on multiple occasions. He had a habit of being foolish and reckless with her heart.</p><p>Hekapoo raised an eyebrow knowingly. “Then what are you gonna do about it?” She asked.</p><p>“Shut up,” he said softly, with only a slight tone of annoyance. “I don’t know yet.” Star was the last thing he wanted to dwell on right now. Everything was complicated enough at the moment, and they still had something important to do. Something that would change the universe forever. But for now, Marco was just grateful to be free of his curses and back with his friends.</p><p>“Thank you for everything, <em>H-Poo</em>,” he teased with a sincere smile, dropping into his ‘adult voice’ as he spoke her nickname.</p><p>The flame hovering above Hekapoo’s head flickered almost imperceptibly. She gave him a sly and enticing smirk. “Right back at ya, Muscles.”</p><p>She then got up and walked away, announcing that she was going to order him a glass of pomegranate juice, which she claimed was the best in the universe. Marco felt the rouge slowly fade from his cheeks as she left. Hekapoo wasn’t perfect, but neither was he. He had been through almost two decades of hardships because of her—however willingly—but as a result she had forged him into something so much stronger than he had ever imagined he could become. She had given him his own path and sense of adventure and purpose—something that was <em>his</em>, apart from Star. Because of Hekapoo, Marco felt comfortable, confident, and at home even in the furthest reaches of the multi-dimensional universe.</p><p>Marco felt the tension in his shoulders start to unravel, and he leaned back in his chair, placing his hands in the pockets of his black dress pants. He really wished he had a change of clothes; every time he looked down at his attire, he was reminded of the horrors of the past few days. Then one of his hands brushed up against a small object buried in his pocket. He grabbed onto it and pulled out a small, slender piece of paper. He could vaguely make out a ribbon of red ink across its center. It was a message from the inside of a fortune cookie.</p><p>Marco’s heart nearly stopped in his chest once he realized how the fortune had gotten into his pocket. His memory flashed back to a few hours prior, when he—well, Toffee, actually—had been sneaking around the Monster Temple. It was after Eclipsa had released him from the dungeon, and shortly before he had attempted the All-Seeing Eye spell in Star’s room.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Commandeering Marco’s body, Toffee slinked through the halls of the Monster Temple. Now free from his shackles, he continued his mission on behalf of his host—to find Star Butterfly and fulfill Celena’s prophecy. He had the wand clutched tightly in Marco’s hand, but he would need the princess to aid the boy in completing the Whispering Spell once more. This time, he would ensure that the teens said the spell together while in the Realm of Magic itself. He had been so close to succeeding in destroying it the last time he tried, but since he lost his corporeal form, Toffee had no choice but to concede to Celena’s wishes and use the children to complete their mission.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He eventually came across a door with a colourful array of messages and images scribbled onto it. He grasped the doorknob and entered Star’s bedroom stealthily. The room was empty. Star was nowhere to be found.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Of course…” Toffee lamented through Marco’s voice.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>After taking a moment to slowly assess his surroundings, he closed the door behind him and began to walk around the room. He approached Star’s bedside table, opened its drawers, looked inside, and closed them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Toffee suddenly felt the boy’s body slowly stop responding to his control, and his consciousness was sent barrelling to the back of Marco’s mind. By the sheer force of his will, Marco had successfully taken back control of his body once more. He managed to plant his feet firmly on the floor, restricting himself to the center of Star’s bedroom.</em>
</p><p><em>“Stop that! What are you doing?!” Marco exclaimed in a whisper. His head began to pound with pain from the effort of trying to stay in control against Toffee’s will, but he persisted. “We are </em>not<em> going through Star’s stuff!” </em></p><p>
  <em>Unfortunately for Marco, Toffee’s silent determination was too strong for him to handle in his current, sleep-deprived state. Marco felt a terrible yet familiar numbing sensation wash over his mind while his body felt as though it had been anesthetized. He watched helplessly as his feet began to move forward without his permission despite the fact that he was still in control of his mind and voice.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“How do you keep doing this?! Stop it!” Marco yelled in a hushed voice. Toffee merely continued to move his body around the room. He watched his own hands reach down and open Star’s wooden chest, only to quickly close it when something from within its depths let out a furious growl. “Just wait a sec! I-I know how to find Star! It’s a spell that will—Would you just listen to me?!” He tried to explain to no avail. Toffee kept on searching the room.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>After a few minutes of this, Marco felt his body turn towards a hook near the back of Star’s closed door. The only object hanging from it was her yellow star-shaped purse. Marco’s feet began to move toward it.</em>
</p><p><em>“What are you doing…?” Asked Marco worriedly. He then felt himself put the wand in the pocket of his pants, freeing up both hands to reach for the purse. “I hate to be the one to break this to you, but yellow is </em>definitely<em> not your colour. Or mine, I should say,” Marco taunted. Toffee merely continued to use Marco’s hands to take the purse down from its hook and unzip it, revealing its cluttered interior. </em></p><p>
  <em>“Hey, I’m not kidding! Stop it, that’s private!” Marco protested. He focused all of his energy into using his left hand to swat at his right—it worked, and he nearly ended up dropping the purse in the process.</em>
</p><p><strong> <em>“Do you mind?” </em> </strong> <em>Toffee’s smooth voice echoed throughout Marco’s mind. Marco felt his left hand go numb once more as Toffee took back control and resumed pawing through the bag.</em></p><p>
  <em>“Uh, yeah, actually. I do,” Marco retorted bitterly. “What are you trying to do here, anyway?”</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>“I’m looking for something.”</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Marco had just enough control of himself to roll his eyes. “Yeah, thanks. I got that much.” He watched in confusion as Toffee seemed to suddenly stop his search. He pulled out a small piece of paper before proceeding to zip the purse closed and return it to its hook. “Hey, put that back! W-What is that?” Marco asked wearily.</em>
</p><p><strong> <em>“It’s not for you,” </em> </strong> <em>the Septarian coolly thought in reply. </em></p><p>
  <em>Marco mustered all his strength to try and free the piece of paper from his hand in retaliation, but it was no use.</em>
</p><p><strong> <em>“Patience...”  </em> </strong> <em>Toffee warned condescendingly. He removed the wand from Marco’s pants pocket and carefully tucked away the paper in its place. <strong>“Now, why don’t we focus on finding Star? You said you knew a spell.”</strong></em></p>
<hr/><p>A chilling sweat began to race across Marco’s flesh. <em>Why would Toffee want a piece of paper with some dumb fortune on it so badly? What did he mean when he said it wasn’t for me? Who was it for, then? Why would he leave it in my pocket for someone else to eventually find? </em>Nothing about this made sense, yet Marco felt himself being swallowed by terror nonetheless.</p><p>He stood up and raced toward Star, who already happened to be running in his direction. They met in the middle of the tavern.</p><p>“Star—!” He tried to explain.</p><p>“Marco, we have to go now!” She interjected hurriedly.<br/>
<br/>
“Whoa, wait. Are you okay? What’s going on?”</p><p>“It’s Mina. My mom was working with her to create this undefeatable army to take out Eclipsa and—”</p><p>“WHAT?!”</p><p>“—now Mina and the Solarian Warriors won’t stand down and are attacking everyone! Globgor is hurt and so are a bunch of others a-and we don’t know where my dad is and… We have to do this <em>now</em>,” she explained urgently.</p><p>“Star, we can’t go back in there,” Marco protested. He felt terrible for saying this given the perilous war brought on by Mina and Moon, but he couldn’t just stand by idly and let Star get hurt again. He couldn’t be the reason for her pain anymore.</p><p>“What?!” Star exclaimed. “After all that, after everything you said, <em>now</em> you don’t want to do this?!”</p><p>“That wasn’t me! My head was all messed up! But we… We just can’t! We aren’t safe.”</p><p>“Yeah, <em>duh</em>. That’s why we have to destroy the Magic. To strip the warriors of their power. It’s the only way to stop them. Marco, <em>everyone</em> is in danger right now, especially monsters. Why are you suddenly—?”</p><p>“It’s Toffee. I don’t know how, but he’s up to something.”</p><p>Star blinked, dumbfounded. “What are you talking about? Toffee’s dead. Like really, <em>really</em> dead this time. Marco<em>, you </em>killed him. Where is this coming from?”</p><p>“No, look!” Marco exclaimed, presenting his open hand to Star; the fortune laid folded up in the center of his palm. “He wanted us to find this…  A-At least I think he left it for us. I don’t know, I-I just remember that he said it wasn’t for <em>me</em>. I don’t get it… What is this?”</p><p>Star picked up the piece of paper and unfurled it. It was a fortune that read:</p><p>
  <em>“Love is always the answer.”</em>
</p><p>It took her a handful of seconds, but Star eventually recognized the message. She had seen this before. It was just over a year ago: she had received this particular fortune from a cookie while her and Marco were fighting Ludo’s lackeys outside of a Chinese food restaurant back in Echo Creek. She remembered liking the message at the time, and had tucked it back inside of her purse to keep. She had completely forgotten she had it. <em>If Toffee had somehow gotten his hands on this and ensured that I find it now, then that must mean… </em></p><p>“Wait, that was <em>Toffee?!” </em>Star blurted out in surprise. She stared down at the fortune in her hand in bewilderment as she tried to wrap her head around what it could possibly mean, and why Toffee would have wanted her to find it once again.</p><p><em>Why would he gave given it to me in the first place? </em>If Toffee had somehow been the one to make sure she found this specific fortune, that meant that he had been trying to manipulate her back before she had even met him. Star recalled her and Toffee’s last interaction together back in the Magic Sanctuary, when he had admitted to knowing about the Blood Moon Curse…</p><p><em>“One look at you two together confirmed that the boy had...” He sighed and looked at Star with a deadpan stare. “… </em>Actual<em> feelings for you, those which were inevitably getting in the way of what the Blood Moon Curse was intended for.”</em></p><p>Toffee had helped orchestrate the curse to bring her and Marco together, to bind their souls for all eternity, and to drag Marco into this mess. This fortune must have been just another tactic to push her and Marco closer together. Rage pierced through her. Star wished Toffee were still alive so that she could hurt him like he hurt Marco. <em>But hate is what caused this mess,</em> she reminded herself. When Star killed Toffee the first time—or so she had thought—his final words to her were: <em>‘You don’t make the plans, I do. Me. Only I know how this all turns out!’ </em>Toffee knew that her and Marco were cursed. But he also knew that the Magic had to be destroyed by them. He knew that it was the only way to truly free monsters from the reign of Butterflies.</p><p>“Love is always the answer…” Star murmured aloud. “And the Magic was corrupted because of hate… Huh, I guess Toffee was right.”</p><p><em>But not quite. </em>She thought to herself. <em>He was more right than he knew. Toffee was referring to the Blood Moon Curse when he gave me this fortune—that Marco and I being cursed into loving one another was the answer. But it’s not... it’s more than that. It’s hatred that caused the Magic to become corrupted, and Celena knew it needed to end. But Toffee’s bloodlust, Celena’s fear, Eclipsa’s selfishness, and Mom’s vengeance only made it worse. There’s only ever been one way to fix this. Only...</em></p><p>Star glanced up at the boy standing before her. Marco was still watching her intently, clearly on the cusp of diving into a full-blown panic attack.</p><p>
  <em>Only us.</em>
</p><p>She looked back down at the fortune in her hand and slowly clenched her fist, crumpling the object.</p><p>“Forget Toffee. Let’s do this our way,” Star said boldly. She reached out to grab Marco’s hand.</p><p>“No!” He shouted, visibly recoiling from her. “Please don’t come closer! What if he’s still in my head?! Star, I almost hurt Tom and Janna, and you... I <em>hurt</em> you!” He wrapped his arms around his midsection and took a step back from her.</p><p>“No, Marco! That wasn’t you!” Star pleaded.</p><p>“I can’t do this,” he whispered.</p><p>“But—!”</p><p>Marco wrapped his arms around himself even tighter. “—You don’t get it... I-I couldn’t help myself! And all those things I said to you...”</p><p>Star tried not to roll her eyes. She wasn’t about to let him spiral into self-loathing for things he couldn’t control. “I know. It was Toffee. It’s okay.”</p><p>“No, not <em>that</em>. I meant—”</p><p>“—And the rest was just the Blood Moon! That’s why we broke the curse, right?” Star casually rationalized.</p><p>Marco fell silent. He stared at Star with a wordless, indecipherable expression.</p><p>Star let out a long exhale and continued. “Marco, listen. I need you. I’ll always need you, but I really, <em>really</em> need you right now. We have to finish this. Magic’s the worst and the people that use it are idiots!” She lamented. A chorus of cheers erupted from a few of the tavern’s patrons. She stepped back into Marco’s space and successfully grasped his hands in hers. “No more magic, no more Butterflies—all we need is me and you.”</p><p>Marco’s mood turned sullen. “But magic is what brought us together…”</p><p>“Marco, we were brought together to <em>destroy</em> magic. You know that. This was the plan all along! <em>This</em> is why we’re here. It’s like destiny, right?” She asked. Marco opened his mouth to protest, but Star continued before he could get a word in. “But now Mina is attacking and we’re out of time. I have to do this, and I need you to do this with me.”</p><p>“I can’t! I-I don’t know what to do!” Marco argued desperately. He knew that he was being evasive, but he couldn’t help the fear that crested within him. He was usually brave and bold in times of danger, but he had just been through a living nightmare. He could barely think straight.</p><p>“Yes, you do!” Star reassured him animatedly. “You said it yourself: we have to say the Whispering Spell inside the Magic, right? That’s what you were trying to get me to do after Toffee threw me down the well.” Marco visibly flinched at her words. She held his hands even tighter, drawing him closer. “Hey, I’ll be there and we’ll figure this out together. Trust me?”</p><p>Her gaze was hopeful and determined, and Marco held it with a weary look of his own. “Always,” he admitted reluctantly with a shrug.</p><p>Marco knew she was right. They had to do this. He had known it since Queen Celena looked directly at him when he had fallen into her tapestry. This was their destiny, or the ineffable powers of Fate itself, as Celena believed. Yet he still couldn’t help the way he felt. In truth, Marco was more scared right now than he had ever been, even during his time in the NeverZone. If magic is what brought him and Star together, then what would happen when they destroyed it? Marco had a bad feeling about what was to come, but he didn’t know how to tell Star. She seemed so full of hope and courage, and he couldn’t bring himself to derail her mission so selfishly. Like she said, she needed him right now. He had to be there for her. It was the least he could do.</p><p>Marco squeezed Star’s hands as a smile crept up his lips. “Well, there’s no way I’m letting you go in there alone. So, I guess I’m in.”</p><p>Star gave him one of her dazzling, heart-crowned smiles. “Okay.”</p><p>“Hey, uh, Star?” Marco hesitated. He looked down at his current outfit and cringed. He was still wearing the black dress pants and matching shoes, along with the white collard shirt, which was now tattered and soiled. “Is there any way I can, like, change out of this first? I feel… <em>dirty</em>,” he shuddered.</p><p>With a wordless smile, Star released herself from Marco’s grasp, raised her hands, and sent a blast of light his way. The spell was successful despite the weakened Magic, and Marco had suddenly returned to his usual red hoodie, grey t-shirt, straight-legged jeans, and sneakers. He could barely process the relief he felt from a simple change in attire.</p><p>“Much better,” smiled Star. “Shall we?”</p><p>Ever the ‘Safe Kid,’ Marco faltered once more as he considered the task ahead. “Hey, I don’t have a weapon and that place is really dangerous…” he noted nervously.</p><p>“Why don’t you use that big mole of yours? That thing really packs a punch,” Hekapoo slyly suggested. She gave the back of his head a slap as she walked past, singeing the same spot she had slapped countless times before.</p><p><em>“OW!” </em>Marco screeched, but ultimately shook it off. Besides, he would have plenty of time to flirtatiously get back at her later, once all this was said and done.</p><p>Star chuckled as she reached into the pocket of her dress and retrieved the wand. Marco accepted the offer and grasped it with a smile.</p><p>“I guess it’s the last time I’m gonna get to use this thing,” he noted. He held out the wand and it instantly transformed in his hands; he even gave it a little wiggle for show. Marco felt a rush of magical energy and a current of warmth surge through him. It raced from the tip of his toes all the way up to his cheeks, which he could feel light up for a brief flash before returning to normal.</p><p>“What the hell?!” Boomed Rhombulus, who was still sandwiched between the split pool table alongside his brother. Meteora and Eclipsa were still hovering nearby, and Meteora sent a hiss towards the half-crystal, half-snake being, effectively silencing him.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it,” said Hekapoo. She gave Marco a nod, and he smiled back in return. Janna and Tom were sitting alongside her up at the bar. Janna raised a glass Marco’s way, while Tom gave him two enthusiastic thumbs up.</p><p>“The matrilineal line is broken!” Lamented Omnitraxus Prime.</p><p>Marco decided not to mention that he was most likely descended from Eclipsa’s side of the Butterfly line. Star thought it best not to add that to many people—including himself—Marco was, in fact, a princess.</p><p>“This monarchy has been broken for a long time,” Eclipsa chimed in from across the room, glaring down at the High Commission before leveling her gaze on Moon. She then turned and gave Star and Marco an encouraging smile. Moon, on the other hand, casted her shamefaced gaze downward.</p><p>“We should go,” said Star with determination. Yet before she could reach into her pocket to retrieve the scissors, the sound of fingers snapping rung out from the bar and a shimmering portal opened before the two teens.</p><p>“Here, blow it up,” offered Hekapoo. She then took a swig of her drink and placed the now-empty glass back down on the bar top with a <em>thunk!</em></p><p>Star looked at the portal that had just opened ahead of them. Marco watched as she took her mother’s dimensional scissors out of her pocket and walked over to the bar where Tom and Janna were sitting. She placed the scissors on the bar top between her two friends and seemed to whisper something to them before giving her friends a smile and walking back towards the portal.</p><p>Star nudged Marco’s shoulder and nodded to where Hekapoo was leaning on the bar. “At least you two got to say goodbye,” she noted with a sad smile.</p><p>“Goodbye?” Marco asked in shock. He quickly realized what she was implying. He whipped around toward his fire-clad immortal friend. “What?! Hekapoo? Wait, you’re <em>made</em> of magic! Won’t you…?”</p><p>Hekapoo let out an indifferent sigh. “Look, if I’m being honest, I always had a feeling this stuff did more harm than good.” She walked over to her brothers and tore open a portal along the pool table’s edge, causing them to fall through with a scream. She looked as though she were about to step into the portal herself, but stopped and turned back toward the boy she was leaving behind.</p><p>“Here,” she said. She tossed a few cups of pudding towards Marco, which he deftly caught. “Try not to die.”</p><p>Then Hekapoo stepped through the portal and vanished.</p><p>In that moment, Marco’s chest felt a little more hollow than it had before. He stared longingly at the place his friend had just stood. “<em>Ugh</em>, I’m gonna miss her,” he admitted softly, absently rubbing at the bald spot on the back of his head. He slipped the packets of pudding into his hoodie without question, almost absentmindedly.</p><p>“C’mon,” offered Star, nodding towards the portal. “Ready to save the world?”</p><p>“Uh, wait!” Said Marco. He reached down and grabbed one of Star’s hands in his. “Ready.”</p><p>Star and Marco entered the Magic without looking back.</p>
<hr/><p>The Realm of Magic was almost entirely consumed by purple. The usual soft rush of the cascading rivers was had disappeared, and Star and Marco were met with an eerie silence. Marco saw Star transform into her butterfly physique of the corner of his eye the moment their feet hit the watery ground. They both silently took in their surroundings for a few more moments.</p><p>“Pudding me,” ordered Star as she reached out one of her many hands towards her friend.</p><p>“What? Oh. Sure, yeah,” Marco replied in confusion. He unzipped his hoodie and let it hang loosely open as he handed her three packs of pudding. “And why exactly did Hekapoo give us pudding?” He asked, slightly weary of whatever answer he was bound to receive.</p><p>“It makes you not lose your mind in here,” Star explained in all seriousness. “You didn’t seem to be affected by the Magic when Toffee was controlling you, but I have a feeling now that he’s gone, you’re gonna need it.”</p><p>Marco begrudgingly took a cup out of his hoodie and ripped off the plastic seal. “Right. Of course Glossaryck never thought to mention that,” he sighed.</p><p>Star and Marco both stashed their supplies of pudding cups into their pockets. They proceeded to silently clink their containers against one another’s in an ironic sort of cheers and began to eat the chocolaty snack.</p><p>All of the sudden, a powerful breeze began to swirl around the pair, circling one of them in particular. As the air whipped around Marco, the purplish magic at his feet began to darken and tremble.</p><p><em>“OHAHHH!”</em> Marco shouted. He hopped about from foot to foot in an attempt to lessen the damage, but it was to no avail. Everywhere Marco stepped, the Magic only worsened.</p><p>“Marco! <em>Marco!”</em> Star exclaimed, trying to calm her manic friend down. She reached for him and grasped his shoulders firmly with her six hands. “It’s okay! It’s just—”</p><p>“I-I’m sorry! Just stay back! I don’t want you to get hurt!” Marco cried as he pushed away from her. He couldn’t believe that the effects of the prophecy could be this powerful. Toffee or not, the Magic clearly was meant to deteriorate the moment he stepped foot in it. “I can’t stop it!”</p><p>Before Star could protest any further, a rumbling sound began to slowly build from off in the distance. The teens watched in frozen terror as a rippling trail in the violet waters began to emerge and race towards them. A single horn ascended, cleaving a path through the streams where a dark purple unicorn was ferociously sprinting their way.</p><p>“Star, why is that unicorn running at us…?” Marco asked in shock.</p><p>The animal’s eyes flashed with searing white-hot light as it let out a vicious, rather un-horse-like snarl.</p><p>“STAR… WHY IS THAT UNICORN RUNNING AT US?!” Marco screamed desperately.</p><p>“Get ready to fight!” Star shouted as she soared into the air and darted towards the merciless creature. With a blinding flash of yellowish light, Star struck the unicorn with a magical blast and sent it skidding a few feet away, but it was already beginning to raise itself off the ground by the time Star retreated to Marco’s side.</p><p>Marco blinked in surprise. “How do we kill that thing?! Is it even alive anymore?!”</p><p>“Dude, <em>the wand!”</em> Star suggested in a snarky yet urgent tone. “You’ve used it before…”</p><p>“Yeah, but that… That was different!” Marco spluttered defensively.</p><p>He hadn’t had a choice but to use it when Toffee was in his head, threatening and coercing him into doing his bidding. Marco, on the other hand, had no idea how Star managed to wield its power properly. Every time he tried to do the All-Seeing Eye spell, for example, he somehow set off a massive explosion. The only spell he himself had ever successfully done was when he had saved them from nearly falling out of Star’s window the night before by casting a bubble around them. He remembered how long it took Star to get the hang of using the wand when she was first learning back on Earth, and Marco surely didn’t have that kind of time at the moment—not when the massive unicorn was racing towards them once more. It let out an even louder, more menacing cry which caused an army of miniature purple unicorns to race out of the peripheries and run up to flank the larger animal in its charge.</p><p>“Oh, <em>COME ON!”</em> Marco whined fearfully.</p><p>“Marco, you can do this!” Star shouted as she fluttered into the air once more. She began to send shower after shower of burning hot cupcakes and massive narwhals raining down upon the stampede.</p><p>Marco, meanwhile, was attempting to psyche himself up when a pair of tiny unicorns nearly tackled him to the ground. He managed to escape them and quickly dive behind a nearby stone. He tried to shoot at the small horses from behind his makeshift shelter, but the wand merely sent a flurry of sickly-looking narwhals flopping onto the ground a few feet ahead.</p><p>“<em>Ugh,</em> Star makes magic look so easy!” He groaned to himself. Then he paused. “What would she do right now…?” Marco narrowed his gaze on the oncoming group of tiny unicorns and took a breath. He raised the wand and felt the power it wielded course through him as he focused his thoughts on the first thing that came to his mind.</p><p>“KITTEN BOMB!” Marco valiantly yelled as he slashed the wand through the air before him. A line of explosive, moon-cheeked kittens eerily resembling himself detonated ahead of the unicorns before they could reach him.</p><p>Marco sprinted off back to where Star was still fending off the large unicorn and a horde of its miniature minions. He could tell she was starting to get overwhelmed by their numbers—he would have to act fast. Marco climbed up onto a nearby purplish crystal jutting out from the ground and looked down upon the battle below. He didn’t think about what he was doing, he just felt what he wanted in the depths of his heart and let that guide him. <em>I have to protect her… </em></p><p>“STAR, GET DOWN!” He screamed. The moment Star darted out of the way, Marco lunged from the towering crystal and pointed the wand’s red and purple hue down at his foes. “BOBA BLAST!” He proclaimed.</p><p>A shower of fiery boba balls began to pierce through the air and pelt the swarm of unicorns below. Many of them raced off, while others began shrieking and rolling around, desperately trying to shake off and extinguish the goopy, molten tapioca balls. Marco, meanwhile, was falling back-first towards the ground at an alarming speed. He then felt six strong hands hook underneath him in midair, and Star brought them down to the ground with Marco safely cradled in her arms. The smile she gave him nearly brought Marco to tears.</p><p>“You did it!” She congratulated earnestly.</p><p>Marco couldn’t help the blush that set his cheeks aflame from their proximity. If he was being honest with himself, a little part of him wished that he could stay wrapped up in her arms forever.</p><p>“Uh, yeah. I guess I did,” he shyly murmured in response. Both to Marco’s disappointment and relief, Star set him back on his own two feet.</p><p>“Told ya you could do it,” she said with her radiant smile.</p><p>A unicorn suddenly leapt out of nowhere and nearly dove right at the back of Star’s head, but Marco managed to swiftly grab one of his friend’s hands, twirl her around so that her back was pressed towards his, and blast the tiny creature out of sight.</p><p>“Nice!” Star laughed as she sent a barrage of spells toward another couple of unicorns with her back still firmly pressed against his.</p><p>The two continued to fight back-to-back until the unicorns seemed to scatter for the time being. Suddenly, however, the air around the two began to shift once more. Star scanned the scene before her gaze eventually landed on the ground between them.</p><p>“Marco!” Star gasped. “Look!”</p><p>Marco glanced down to find that the watery magic surrounding his feet had suddenly begin to swirl into a captivating kaleidoscope of red, gold, purple, green, and blue. The spiral’s circumference began to widen until it surrounded both of their feet in its versicolor glow.</p><p>“How did you do that?!” Marveled Star. She looked up and met his gaze, and Marco watched as the various shades of light danced across her features. It was the first time he had been in the Magic that he didn’t feel afraid. In fact, with Star by his side, he felt more emboldened than ever before. Apparently, the Magic seemed to notice his change in mood, too, and was responding in a completely new way.</p><p>Marco shrugged as his lips began to quirk up into a crooked smile. “Well, I guess it’s like you said… The Magic was corrupted because of hate, right? Well, I don’t feel any of that. Not when you’re here. You’re my best friend.” What he was feeling was more than just the absence of hate, but Marco thought it best to leave it at that.</p><p>His smile was short-lived as he watched Star’s reaction. She was merely staring at him with wide, conflicted eyes. Her brow was slightly furrowed, which caused Marco to delve into a slight state of panic, fearing that he may have said something to make her uncomfortable. And so, he did what he was accustomed to do in times of impending rejection: he tried to backpedal and redeem himself.</p><p>“Sorry, that was probably weird t—”</p><p>“Marco, did you mean what you said out on the roof last night?” Star asked sincerely. “Do you really love me?”</p><p>He felt as though a bomb had just gone off within him. Marco’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets and his mouth hung open in shock, completely dumbfounded.</p><p>“Oh no… I really said that, didn’t I?” Marco asked in stunned dismay. “Ah. O-Okay. Okay...” He muttered to himself as he began to hyperventilate and nod his head frantically.</p><p>Star held her hands up defensively, clearly regretting her question. “I get it, don’t worry!” She attempted to console him. “I know that it was just the Blood Moon thing forcing you to say it. Sorry, I shouldn’t have—”</p><p>“What? No!” Marco interjected. He let out a sigh and continued, finally ready to face the consequences of his actions. No matter the rejection to come, he at least owed her the truth after everything he had put her through. “I mean, I was definitely not in control of myself at the time but… No, that was me. That’s... the whole Marco.”</p><p>Star blinked a few times in quick succession, but her gaze eventually began to soften. “What?”</p><p>Star’s shock was interrupted by the return of the towering unicorn. It suddenly appeared a few feet behind Marco and was charging at him horn-first, nearly about to stab him from behind.</p><p>“LOOK OUT!” She screamed as she roughly threw Marco out of the way, sending her friend barreling headlong to the side as the violet unicorn approached.</p><p>Star proceeded to start blasting at the charging steed, but her weakened magic did little to deter it. Suddenly, Marco appeared from her periphery and delivered a flying kick to the unicorn’s side. The animal skidded to the side until it plunged down into a deep pool of magic and out of sight once more. Star and Marco stood side by side, panting heavily.</p><p>“Sorry, uh, you were saying?” Star prodded breathlessly.</p><p>A shocked laugh unintentionally bubbled up from Marco’s throat. “Seriously? <em>Now?”</em>  He asked in disbelief.</p><p>Star gestured around them. “Well, there’s no time like the end of the world, right?”</p><p>Marco let out a long, groaning sigh before he began to speak. “Okay, well, you know the whole Blood Moon Curse? That ordeal? Well, it’s baloney. I’ve felt like this since the beginning. I mean, I’m not a little boy. I know that you don’t just fall in love at first sight. The way I feel has just gotten more intense since we first met, a-and it was intense at the start, a-a-and I know it’s in the way!”</p><p>A barrage of tiny purple, white-eyed unicorns suddenly began raining down from above as they dove off of a massive crystal nearby. Star and Marco were forced to continue their conversation mid-combat.</p><p>“In the way?” Star asked in bewilderment as she took out a small throng of the magical creatures. “Marco, why does it have to be bad?”</p><p>Marco, meanwhile, was using the wand to send flurries of flaming nacho chips towards their tiny foes. “It <em>is</em> bad if you don’t want it!” He exclaimed as he fought. “I’m so sorry, Star. I’m sorry for everything I’ve been putting you through and how messy and confusing things have gotten between us,” he lamented as he sent another small unicorn soaring off into the distance with a mighty kick. “But, honestly, I don’t expect you to want me back.” He turned towards his winged best friend and held her gaze. “I guess I just… I love you for free, y’know?”</p><p>Marco resumed his attacks, which prevented him from noticing how Star had stopped moving altogether. His head whipped toward her after a few moments and he shot at the small army surrounding her feet. It was as though she hadn’t even noticed they were there.</p><p>As he fought, Marco continued his rambling confession. “And you’re still with Tom, I know that. I don’t want to mess that up for you a—”</p><p>“Marco!” Star finally exclaimed, suddenly jolted from her daze.</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>“Tom and I broke up,” she admitted with a soft, nearly imperceptible smile.</p><p>Marco’s body froze in place. Almost unknowingly, he suddenly darted a fist out to the side and punched one of the little unicorns straight in the snout as it was lunging towards him in midair, all without breaking eye contact with Star.</p><p>She shrugged and continued. “Yeah, it was, uh, while you were all cursed. We aren’t together anymore.”</p><p>Marco finally felt the air return to his lungs. “You broke up? Are you okay? Oh my gosh… This is my fault, isn’t it?! I’m so sorry, I—!”</p><p>“No! No, it’s… In the end, we just weren’t what each other needed,” she admitted quietly. “I guess I kind of already had what I needed.”</p><p>“You already had what you needed…?” Marco quoted back to her, almost as if he were thinking aloud. “W-What do you mean?” He asked, trying to quell the surge of hope blossoming in his chest.</p><p>“Marco, I want you to love me. Because I love you,” Star admitted. Her eyes were glimmering with sincerity. The sight left Marco at a loss for words as his brain struggled to comprehend what he was hearing.</p><p>“Wait, what? You… <em>Me?”  </em>He asked, bumbling in his confusion. “You love me? And the curse…? It’s not just because of the Blood Moon?”</p><p>Star’s smile only grew as she shook her head. “Nuh-uh.”</p><p>“So. Okay. Uhhhh, you... You love me. And not because of a curse. So, then that—”</p><p>Star shook her head and rolled her eyes, letting out a fond sigh.</p><p>“Okay, can we kiss?” She asked, tugging on the sides of his unzipped red hoodie and pulling him close.</p><p>Marco’s eyes nearly popped out of his head and his heart most likely stopped beating. “Uh, <em>please</em>,” he croaked out. Marco felt Star’s nose barely brush against his cheek as she leaned in. He watched her eyes flutter closed and his began to do the same.</p><p>A furious whinny echoed off in the distance, suddenly interrupting the teens and dragging them out of their heartfelt moment. They jumped away from each other in surprise at the sound of the approaching unicorn. Marco began to scratch at the back of his neck awkwardly.</p><p>“Maybe we ought to get back to... Y’know. <em>That</em>,” He muttered shyly, nodding over his shoulder towards the origin of the sound. “We’ll, uh… Finish this later, okay?”</p><p>Star giggled at his expense, which caused Marco’s cheeks to instantly heat up in embarrassment. “Deal,” she agreed fondly.</p><p>“Let’s split up,” he then suggested with a sudden boldness. “I’ll deal with the horse while you get away and start the spell.”</p><p>“Okay, but <em>please</em> be careful,” she said as she rose into the air, her glorious orange and yellow wings flapping behind her. “And come find me after! I’m gonna need your help!” Star shouted as she dashed away from Marco and the approaching threat.</p><p>Marco turned toward his oncoming foe and dropped into a low, crouched stance, wand in hand. He took a deep breath. He felt his cheeks light up with a searing heat before lunging at the massive unicorn. In an attempt to throw it off balance, Marco managed clutch onto its neck and swing around until he was sprawled over the horse’s back, but he lost his grip at the last second and was thrown onto the ground. The unicorn loomed over him on its haunches. Marco pointed the wand at the creature and felt determination course through him, but a sudden blast of flame came from somewhere off to Marco’s side.</p><p>Tom was hovering in the air, completely surrounded by a flaming aura.</p><p>“Tom?!” Marco screeched.</p><p>While the unicorn dove to the side to dodge the demon’s attack, Tom landed in the Magic’s waters. He reached down to help Marco up.</p><p>“Need some help?” The demon asked with a cocky smile.</p><p>“Wha-wait, why are you here?” Marco spluttered out as he rose to his feet. “Hold up… <em>Please</em> don’t tell me Janna followed you in here.”</p><p>“Nah, she said, and I quote: ‘I’m good out here,’” Tom replied with a deadpan stare. He used air-quotes to enunciate his point. “Moon and Eclipsa started fighting as soon as you two left, so I’m pretty sure she just wanted to stay and watch.”</p><p>“So, wait… Why did you come in here, then?”</p><p>“Well, Star gave me her scissors in case anything went wrong. And when you guys didn’t come back for awhile, I kinda thought you might be in trouble. So, here I am,” Tom explained, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his tattered shorts.</p><p>“Thanks, Tom,” Marco said sincerely. He was relieved to have the help, but a wave of awkwardness immediately settled over him. “Hey, uh, I’m sorry to hear that you and Star broke up…” He muttered, finding it difficult to maintain eye contact with his friend.</p><p>The air, meanwhile, had grown heavy in anticipation. Tom had fallen completely silent, looming over Marco by a few inches with an unreadable expression. Then Marco watched a tight-lipped smile grace the demon’s face. Tom let out a long sigh and clapped Marco on the shoulder.</p><p>“Thanks dude, but I know you’re not.”</p><p>“What? No, seriously! I—”</p><p>“It’s cool,” Tom added in a shockingly calm manner. “Let’s just focus on taking down that freaky unicorn.”</p><p>Marco was reeling. <em>Tom is… He’s okay with this? With, uh, us?</em> Marco wondered to himself. <em>I guess their breakup explains why he didn’t kill me when I was acting like a total idiot right before we broke the Blood Moon Curse…</em></p><p>Marco never could have imagined seeing Tom act so selflessly. Yet here he was, storming into a foreign dimension to help his friends—who happened to be his ex-girlfriend and his ex-rival—fight a battle he had no part in. He was happy that Tom was here. Marco was so grateful for all the love in his life: he had always thought that his time in the NeverZone had forged him into who he was today, but in reality, he owed it all to the friends and family he was lucky enough to have. He felt a lot safer now that Tom was here fighting alongside him. For perhaps the first time in their hot-and-cold friendship, Marco felt completely at peace with the demon before him.</p><p>Marco tossed a cup of pudding Tom’s way. “I thought you’d never ask,” he declared with a valiant smile.</p><p>Then the demon prince and the boy from Earth dove into battle.</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Break the bond, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tear the fabric, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cleave the stone, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Destroy the Magic.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Star’s hands were plunged deeply into the Magic’s wine-dark waters as she repeated the spell over and over. She was beginning to lose track of how many times she had recited it.</p><p><em>“Breakthebond,tearthefabric,cleavethestone,destroytheMagic</em>—Oh, come <em>on!”</em>  She exclaimed with a groan. No matter what she did, and no matter how much pudding she ingested, it just wasn’t enough—the Magic was still too strong for her spell alone to deteriorate. She needed backup. She needed Marco.</p><p>“Star?” A voice called from behind her.</p><p>The blonde turned around from her kneeling position to find an unexpected sight: her mother and Eclipsa—along with Meteora still strapped to the latter queen’s chest—were standing over her.</p><p>“Mom! Eclipsa! What are you doing?”</p><p>“We’re here to help, of course,” Eclipsa replied in a chipper tone. “What, did you really think we were going to miss out on all the action?”</p><p>“We couldn’t let you and Marco do this by yourselves,” Moon replied sincerely, dropping down onto her knees beside her daughter. “I may not be able to change what I have done, but I can at least help you end this.” Moon momentarily paused, apparently caught up in emotion. “You were right, Star. The reign of Magic needs to end. I’m so… I’m so sorry, dear. For everything.”</p><p>Star wrapped her arms around her mother without a moment of hesitation. She could only imagine how difficult it must have been for her mom to swallow her pride and admit her wrongs, given the type of headstrong person she was. Star was just grateful to finally have her back by her side.</p><p>“Thanks, Mom,” Star murmured as she released her from their hug. “I’m glad you all are here, because I don’t think I can do this alone.”</p><p>The sound of splashing interrupted Star’s explanation. Eclipsa, who was now kneeling across from the mother and daughter, had began to flap her hands through the magical liquid in a playful manner. Meteora, too, looked completely mesmerized by the violet waters below them.</p><p>“Why am I sitting in juice?” Eclipsa asked with vacant eyes.</p><p>“Juice? What are y—<em>Oh no</em>,” Star croaked, realizing what was happening to her.</p><p>“What’s going on? Who are you people?” Moon asked from Star’s side. She, too, looked completely spaced out.</p><p>Star crammed a container of pudding into each of the three Butterflies’ mouths without a moment of delay. The two queens and the small child spluttered in confusion.</p><p>“Pudding?!” Moon exclaimed.</p><p>“Yeah, magic’s weird… Wanna blow it up?” Star asked with a smile.</p><p>Then Star resumed the Whispering Spell, and the others gradually began to turn into their Butterfly forms, following her lead.</p><p>“Why isn’t it working?” Moon asked after a few rounds of chanting. The magic surrounding them was clearly weakening, but they seemed to be making barely any progress despite their combined efforts.</p><p>“I think it’s Marco. He needs to be here too, but I think he’s still—”</p><p>“INCOMING!”</p><p>The Butterflies all jumped at the sudden shout. They turned towards the sound only to find Marco and Tom in pursuit of the massive purple unicorn, all of whom were heading directly for them. Tom was using his fire to propel himself through the air, and Marco was atop his back.</p><p>“Marco! Tom!” Star shouted in surprise.</p><p>She was about to get up to intercept the oncoming attack, but the unicorn suddenly stopped in its tracks. The creature whipped its head around to something off in the distance, far behind where Tom and Marco were in pursuit of it. The unicorn ran back towards where it had just come from at the exact moment that Marco dove off of Tom’s back and lunged at the beast. Missing his mark, the teen landed on the violet-drenched ground with a painful thud, and the horse sprinted away from them and out of sight.</p><p>“Marco! Are you okay?!” Star exclaimed as she flew towards her fallen friend. Tom simultaneously landed by his side, and the two carefully helped him up.</p><p>“I’m… I’m good. Never better,” groaned Marco as he stood.</p><p>“Huh, I wonder where that thing ran off to…” Tom mused aloud as he squinted off into the distance. A nearly imperceptible sound of a woman shrieking echoed towards them from afar.</p><p>“Marco, we need your help. I think you have to come say the spell with us,” Star interjected hurriedly.</p><p>“You guys go, I’ll keep watch in case that thing comes back,” Tom offered.</p><p>Star clutched Marco’s free hand and raced back towards where the other three Butterflies were still kneeling. Star quickly knelt back down beside her mother, whereas Marco hesitated for a moment before dropping down onto one knee between her and Eclipsa. He placed the wand down on the ground beside him.</p><p>“So, uh, what do I do?” Marco asked with uncertainty.</p><p>“Try putting your hands in the Magic and saying it with us,” Star suggested. Marco could hear the anticipation and worry creeping into her voice. They all began to chant.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Break the bond, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tear the fabric, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cleave the stone, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Destroy the Magic.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>With a flash of purple light, a pair of black and crimson wings suddenly fanned out behind Marco as he transformed into his butterfly form, complete with two crescent moons dotting his cheeks. Eclipsa and Moon both gasped in response, meanwhile Meteora merely glowered at the boy. Marco let out a yelp of surprise.</p><p>“<em>Ugh,</em> I forgot about that,” he shuddered, taking a moment to inspect his plethora of extra arms and change in attire. He couldn’t complain about the clothes he wore in this form, but the alterations to his body were completely unnerving. He silently hoped that he would never have to experience the feeling of wings suddenly growing out of his back ever again.</p><p>“Marco, you’re…” Moon trailed off.</p><p>“Well then,” Eclipsa spoke. “Aren’t we all quite the sight to behold?” She chuckled nervously, clearly perturbed by her own transformation as well.</p><p>“Come on, let’s keep going!” Ordered Star.</p><p>All five of them continued their efforts. Suddenly, a crowd of spectral entities began to circle the group, and Eclipsa, Moon, and Star let out a series of choked gasps as they beheld their deceased relatives. Marco silently noted how young they all looked—he hoped they hadn’t all met their ends so early on in their lives. Then the  queens of Mewni’s past and present—as well as Marco—banded together to end the reign of Magic once and for all.</p><p>After a few more rounds of chanting, the air in the Magic had clearly began to darken, yet the liquid surrounding them still remained the same shade of purple as before. As he tried to think of what they could be missing, an inkling of an thought began to form in Marco’s head. He reached down beside him and grasped the wand.</p><p>“Hey, Star? I have an idea…”</p><p>Star looked down at the green, winged object in his hands. Marco shifted his position so that he was kneeling slightly in front of Star, and he held the wand up between them.</p><p>“Together?” He asked. His chocolate eyes shone with the beginnings of a smile.</p><p>“Together,” Star replied with a heartfelt grin of her own.</p><p>The two teens grasped the wand with hands intertwined, closed their eyes, and repeated the Whispering Spell one last time.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Break the bond, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tear the fabric, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cleave the stone, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Destroy the Magic.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Without even opening his eyes, Marco felt his butterfly form melt away. His cheeks no longer burned. A short moment later, the head of the wand swung open, releasing the ghost of the unicorn inside. The ethereal shade floated up with a harrowing whinny and the sky of the Magic blackened with the beginnings of a frightful storm. Deafening cracks of lighting and bellows of thunder consumed the air as a blackish green sludge finally began to consume the Magic.</p><p>Marco watched in astonishment as the storm roared on from above while the waters below them began to undulate and thrash about wildly. The force of the cataclysm was shattering nearby crystals, and the sickly green decay crawled its way up each and every one of the wells, cascading towards the sky. He then turned his attention back toward the scene before him: Moon and Eclipsa had stood and were approaching the shades of whom Marco assumed were their respective mothers. He and Star slowly stood as well, just as a blue figure popped into Marco’s periphery.</p><p>“I’m proud of you, kid,” Marco heard Glossaryck quietly utter to the blonde at his side. Star turned towards him and addressed her former mentor, but the words were lost on Marco.</p><p>Marco stared ahead of him with wide, unbelieving eyes. He could barely make out the spectral image of a crescent-adorned fan peeking out from the midst of the throng of gradually disappearing ghosts. Marco’s feet began to slowly draw him nearer until he stood within full—albeit still quite distanced—view of the shade before him. Queen Celena’s searing white eyes peaked out from behind her fan as she wordlessly beheld him.</p><p>Just as he had seen her do while in her tapestry, Celena slowly lowered her fan, and Marco was met with a familiar pair of crescent moons shining from her cheeks. He didn’t know what to say. Everything he had been through—the nightmares, the curses, and the horrors that came with them—had been because of her. Yet because of Celena’s intervention, Marco had gotten the chance to meet Star, which had hurled him into decades of adventure that he had never even thought imaginable. Now that the majority of her face was visible, Marco couldn’t help but notice that her expression seemed sorrowful, perhaps even distressed. He wanted to ask her so many things, but he simply didn’t know where to begin. Most of all, he wanted to know why she looked so upset when her and her mother’s fated mission had been fulfilled in the end. <em>I can’t say I forgive her, but—</em></p><p>What felt like a searing hot blade suddenly tore straight through Marco’s abdomen from behind. Time stood still as he slowly crumpled over and slumped onto his side, landing in the blackening waters below. He didn’t even notice that the remnants of the wand had slipped from his hand and disappeared below the Magic’s surface. He looked up with a blurred gaze to find the melting, sickly green remnants of a unicorn towering over him. Its decaying horn was dripping with red. The next thing Marco knew, all that was left of the horse was its horned skull as it completely liquified and dribbled out of existence.</p><p>The pain in Marco’s stomach was unlike anything he had ever felt before. His bleary, shock-laden gaze drifted back over to Celena, and Marco could only observe motionlessly as the queen’s sorrow-eyed shade faded from his sight, and he was left alone. He was clutching his crimson-drenched hands to his stomach and was curled over on his side when he heard a muffled scream pierce through the thundering in his eardrums.</p><p><em>“MARCO!”</em>  Tom screamed as he raced toward his friend. His expression was the image of sheer panic and shock.</p><p>Without fully knowing why he did it, Marco reached down and quickly zipped up his hoodie, hiding his wound from his friend’s sight.</p><p>Tom skidded to a halt and dove to Marco’s side. He reached down and scooped the teen up into a partially-sitting position, but stopped there. There was a dark patch beginning to spread across his stomach from under his hoodie. Marco was trying to comprehend what was happening when another scream startled him into awareness.</p><p>“STAR! I NEED HELP, NOW! MARCO’S DOWN!” He heard Tom shout from above him.</p><p>Star, Eclipsa, Meteora, and Moon were near the Mewni well when they heard Tom’s screams. Star sprinted over faster than she had ever moved before, barely absorbing Tom’s words as she ran. Then she was on the ground at Marco’s side, pulling him into her arms.</p><p>“MARCO! No… No, what… What happened?!” She gasped breathlessly.</p><p>“I think… The unicorn…” Tom choked out in disbelief. Star and Tom stared down at the trembling, fatally wounded boy in Star’s arms with grief-stricken shock strewn across their faces.</p><p>“STAR!” Moon’s voice rang through the roaring storm. Her and Eclipsa began to run over to the teens, only to stop in their tracks a few feet away upon witnessing the sight before them.</p><p>“MARCO!” Eclipsa exclaimed with a strangled gasp. Meteora, still hanging from her chest, let out a panicked shriek. The infant and the two mewman women looked on, completely frozen in shock. “No… No, no…” Eclipsa whispered in terror.</p><p>“Quick, bring him here! Let’s get him to the Earth well and get him help!” Moon suggested desperately. She was inching closer to the Earth well as she spoke.</p><p>Star’s world crashed to a halt as she looked down at the boy in her arms. Her hands were completely covered in the dark crimson that was seeping through his zipped-up hoodie. Even through his clothing, Star recognized the severity of his wound. She knew that without magic to aid them on Mewni, and without the reassurance that he would get immediate medical attention if they sent him through the Earth well, moving Marco simply wasn’t an option at this point. She returned her gaze to Tom’s.</p><p>“Tom, you have to get out of here,” Star stated with a sullen, tear-choked voice.</p><p>Tom’s jaw dropped. “What?! I-I can’t just leave you guys!”  </p><p>“The wells are closing…” warned Glossaryck from above them. His gaze was wide as he looked down at the boy in Star’s arms.</p><p>“We’ll be okay,” Star lied. “Just… Tom, <em>please!  </em>I need you to make sure my family is safe,” she whispered with a shaking voice.</p><p>Her gaze darted down towards Marco’s trembling form before flicking up at Tom once more. The blonde slowly shook her head, and Tom’s face fell in heart-wrenching realization. The severity of the situation was clear. Tom’s shoulders slumped as tears spilled out from between his eyelashes; the demon crouched to the ground and wrapped his lilac hands around one of Marco’s. Even though this dismal reality was crashing down around him, Tom simply couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye.</p><p>“Stay strong, buddy,” Tom choked out. Marco’s teary, unfocused gaze met his, and Tom used every ounce of strength he had to release his friend’s hand and stand up. Tears were streaming down his cheeks as he looked down at Star. “I will,” he vowed, granting her previous request. “You take care of Marco.”</p><p>Star could only nod in response, equally unable to say goodbye.</p><p>“Catch ya later, Starship.”</p><p>Without delay, Tom whipped around and soared into the air, heading straight toward the three Butterflies. The demon scooped them up and darted towards the deep green channel that led back up to Mewni.</p><p>“STAR! <em>NO!”</em>  Moon screamed, but it was too late. A snap of lightening and a roar of thunder consumed the two queens’ shouts as they disappeared from sight. The well to Star’s home dimension had fully closed, leaving only herself and her best friend behind.</p><p>Star tore open Marco’s zipped-up hoodie and yanked his grey t-shirt up in a swift, frantic motion. She could barely handle the torrent of panic and horror that coursed through her. A red and slightly purplish hole the size of her fist had been spliced through Marco’s abdomen.</p><p>“N-no, Star, still no… abs,” Marco choked out through labored breaths.</p><p>Star couldn’t quell her sobs. She could barely see through her tears enough to reach out and cup one of Marco’s cheeks as her other arm was wrapped around him tightly, cradling him in a slightly elevated position in her lap.</p><p>“The Mewni well… <em>Star…” </em>He croaked.</p><p>“I-It’s okay! I’m here. You’re gonna be okay,” Star promised in vain. She clutched at his cheek even more firmly. “I need you. <em>Please</em> don’t go,” she begged through her choking sobs.</p><p>Marco’s vision was starting to become hazy and tunneled. He fought to hold onto his consciousness as best he could, but the pain in his abdomen was becoming unbearable. All he wanted was to stay a little bit longer, but he could feel himself slipping. <em>Please let me stay… I just want to stay</em>, he silently pleaded with all his might<em>. </em>But even his thoughts were beginning to cloud over with a heavy fog.</p><p>“I’m… I-I’m here,” Marco panted out. Each breath felt like he was inhaling searing flames, but he pushed through the pain. He had to try. He had to be here for her for as long as he could. “Star, I—”</p><p>His words were cut off as Star’s soft lips suddenly pressed against his. After a short moment’s delay, Marco melted into her touch and weakly reached up one of his hands to cup the back of her neck. He kissed her with everything he had left to give.</p><p>A few desperate kisses passed before Star leaned forward and clutched Marco to her chest, wrapping her arms around him as tightly as she could without hurting him. She could feel his chest heaving in his efforts to take in air; his heartbeat was faltering and faint. Left completely helpless, Star had no choice but to hold him as the world crumbled and fell apart around them.</p><p>“You-can’t… stay… here-Star,” Marco managed to rasp out through wheezing breaths.</p><p>“I don’t care,” Star murmured, smoothing some of the hair off his forehead. The hearts on her cheeks radiated light as she hugged him even closer to her chest.</p><p>“Because with or without magic…” She began.</p><p>Marco’s cheeks, too, shone brightly with a pair of crimson moons.</p><p>“…We belong together,” he whispered.</p><p>Marco struggled to gasp in air, but none came.</p><p>A swirl of glittering lights surrounded them, and Star clung to her dying friend as the reign of Magic expired and two worlds were cleaved into one.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>EPILOGUE</em> </strong>
</p><p>From their spot atop Echo Creek Dog Park’s hill, Star and Marco watched the sun begin its descent as it gradually dipped down toward the horizon.</p><p>Marco was seated on the grass with his legs sprawled out in front of him as he leaned back and inspected his abdomen. His red hoodie hung loosely open as he tugged at his grey t-shirt. A sizeable hole had been torn through its center, just below his ribcage. He visibly shuddered.</p><p>“Well, that was… freaky,” he murmured absently.</p><p>He remembered everything: the injury from the unicorn stabbing him, fighting through the unbearable pain, and eventually slipping out of consciousness in Star’s arms. He recalled a blinding kaleidoscope of light erupting behind his eyes, and then he woke up on a stretcher outside of Britta’s Tacos. Then he found her. He didn’t want to question why or how it had happened, but somehow, despite everything that they had been destined to destroy, Fate had allowed them to find each other once more. Now here he was, reunited with his best friend as if nothing had changed. But Marco knew better than that.</p><p>“I guess you can’t just zap me a new shirt anymore, huh?” He asked the blonde seated next to him, pulling at the bottom of his shirt even further to accentuate his point.</p><p>Star lifted her head off of Marco’s shoulder and gazed up at him. “You mean with magic? Nope,” she smiled.</p><p>Marco let out a low whistle. “Wow… So that’s it then. It’s really over.”</p><p>“Pretty much,” replied Star. The two fell silent for a few beats, looking out over the familiar yet foreign landscape below.</p><p>“This is gonna be a mess,” Marco noted in concern.</p><p>“Totally. But I don’t care,” said Star. She turned back to look at him.</p><p>“Surprisingly, me either,” Marco quietly chuckled in disbelief as he turned to face her. He suddenly found himself staring deeply into Star’s shimmering blue eyes. Marco quickly averted his gaze, hoping she couldn’t see the warmth blossoming behind his cheeks. “Should we, uh, maybe go find everyone?” He suggested nervously. He then felt a soft hand rest atop of his, causing his head to whip around to face her once more.</p><p>“In a minute,” Star spoke softly. Then she leaned in and pressed her lips against his.</p><p>This time, however, Marco met her halfway. He brought both of his hands up to cradle her face, a part of him fearing that she could disappear at any moment. Minutes passed, and they finally broke apart. Marco opened his eyes and was relieved to find the girl of his dreams still by his side. Star glanced up at him. Her cheeks were tinted pink, even though they were now free of any sign of her Butterfly lineage.</p><p>“Or maybe two more minutes…?” She suggested with a mischievous smirk.</p><p>His stomach flipped at her proposal, and he found himself slowly leaning back in towards her.</p><p>“Please. Yep, yes. Let’s give it a couple minutes. It’s fine. They’ll be fine,” Marco muttered distractedly as he closed the distance between them. Star’s laughter melted into the kiss as she threw her arms around his neck, causing them to fall back onto the soft ground.</p><p>The world around them, meanwhile, had erupted into chaos. Brought together by an inexplicable force of magic, Earth and Mewni had been cleaved into one before their very eyes. Dragon cycles and helicopters soared overhead, intermingling with a chorus of screams from below.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*In regard to the unicorn stabbing Marco: It appears that Marco was most likely meant to die (at least momentarily) when he was stabbed, but it ended up being too dark of an ending for Disney to air. I base this on a comment by Adam McArthur (voice of Marco) on an Instagram post by @moringmarkugh [https://www.instagram.com/p/B5iEnaylPaZ/]. In response to this delightful comic panel of the moment after Marco got stabbed by the unicorn, Adam commented: “😂😂 aw man.... I’m tellin ya. It was a LOT more impactful before it had to be edited.” I assume that Marco would have been healed when his and Star’s magic cleaved the worlds together anyway, so I thought I’d try out that ending here.</p><p>*Also, yes, I did just do that. In the end, this story was really about exploring the show’s unanswered connections between Marco, dark magic, Toffee, Celena, and the powers of love versus hate in order to see how all of this could have been woven into the finale. I had no intentions of trying to reimagine the show’s ending—besides Marco actually almost dying, that is. I remember initially feeling quite torn about the worlds being cleaved together, but then I realized that it’s just the perfect amount of madness for SVTFOE. It’s special like that :) </p><p>*A particular thanks to my friends who had to listen to me fervidly theorize and plan out my chapters aloud… Especially you, Louis. </p><p>Thank you all for reading and bearing with my madness.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>